1. January 15, 2024
The government of the Republic of Nauru terminated diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan) on the grounds of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 and the “one China principle.” To safeguard national sovereignty and dignity, Taiwan decided to terminate diplomatic relations with Nauru with immediate effect, end all bilateral cooperation projects, recall staff of its embassy and Technical Mission in Nauru, and demand that Nauru close its embassy in Taiwan.
China had long made efforts to approach prominent political figures in Nauru, offering economic assistance as incentive to persuade Nauru to switch diplomatic recognition. The Parliament of Nauru passed a vote of no confidence against then President Russ Joseph Kun on October 25 last year. On October 30, it elected David Adeang as his successor and completed a cabinet reshuffle. After the new government assumed office, Taiwan promptly engaged Nauru regarding bilateral cooperation projects. However, Nauru repeatedly demanded massive amounts of economic assistance from Taiwan and proceeded to compare Taiwan’s aid proposals with those of China.
Based on the long-standing friendship between Taiwan and Nauru, Taiwan demonstrated the greatest sincerity and, within its capacity, proposed assistance programs. In fact, for many years the R.O.C. (Taiwan) government had promoted cooperation projects in Nauru that benefited people’s livelihoods and assisted Nauru’s overall national development. Nauru, however, lured by China’s enticements and disregarding the long-term assistance and friendship of Taiwan, began negotiations with China on the establishment of diplomatic relations. Nauru also deferred to China’s “one China principle” and adopted false narratives stemming from an erroneous interpretation of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758. The R.O.C. (Taiwan) government expressed great disappointment and regret and strongly condemned Nauru for its actions.