Reuters
BEIJING—China established formal relations with the Dominican Republic, peeling away another of Taiwan’s dwindling diplomatic partners as Beijing tries to pressure Taipei to accept Chinese terms for political engagement.
Beijing’s move Tuesday drops the number of governments recognizing Taipei to 19 and is part of a tactic dating to China’s and Taiwan’s split seven decades ago in a civil war. It also comes as the U.S. shows renewed interest in Taiwan, which has raised Beijing concerns that it will embolden Taipei.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Dominican Republic counterpart, Miguel Vargas, sealed the diplomatic ties in Beijing on Tuesday, China’s Foreign Ministry said. The Dominican Republic’s presidential office said in a statement its business community has long wanted a formal relationship with the world’s second-largest economy and the move would benefit the country’s future.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry responded angrily, condemning “Beijing’s outrageous diplomatic practices.” It said China uses promises of development aid to lure countries into establishing ties, potentially creating a “debt trap” in which “gains by no means make up for the losses.”
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