China Taiwan Diplomatic Ties

Nikki Haley, a former rival to Donald Trump for the US Republican presidential nomination, said on Saturday that isolationism was not healthy and that the party should stand with the country's allies, especially in the face of China.

China on Saturday said that top diplomat Wang Yi and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held "candid, substantive and fruitful" talks in Thailand's capital Bangkok, where issues including Taiwan were discussed.

The United States has expressed disappointment in tiny South Pacific nation Nauru for switching diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China, while a de-facto US envoy to Taipei criticised its "distorted" rationale.

The South Pacific nation of Nauru announced on Monday it was severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan and would instead recognise China, according to a government post on social media.

Taiwan's presidential candidates clashed on Saturday over their positions on the self-ruled island's relations with China, in a debate before an upcoming vote closely watched from Beijing to Washington.

Beijing has sponsored cut-price trips to China for hundreds of Taiwanese politicians ahead of key elections on the island, according to Taiwan sources and documents, unnerving officials with a broad campaign that one called "election interference".

Lai Ching-te, the frontrunner for Taiwan's presidency, named on Monday Taipei's former envoy to the United States as his running mate in January's election, a high-profile diplomat well known in Washington but who Beijing denounces as a separatist.

China and Honduras began formal diplomatic relations on Sunday, with Taiwan accusing Beijing of "coercion and intimidation" to lure away its few remaining allies.

Honduras will establish diplomatic relations with mainland China, President Xiomara Castro said Tuesday, a move that would result in the severing of longstanding official ties with Taiwan.

Nicaragua's decision last week to cut ties with Taiwan was part of a deliberate move by China to target the island's diplomatic allies after it was excluded from a democracy summit hosted by Washington, Taiwan's foreign minister said on Tuesday.

Nicaragua announced Thursday it was breaking diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China, as the administration of Daniel Ortega believes there is only one "legitimate government" representing Chinese interests, Foreign Minister Denis Moncada said.

The European Parliament's first official delegation to Taiwan said on Thursday the diplomatically isolated island is not alone and called for bolder actions to strengthen EU-Taiwan ties as Taipei faces rising pressure from Beijing.

The Shanghai city government said on Tuesday it was suspending official contact with Prague after the Czech capital Prague signed a sister city agreement with Taiwan's capital, Taipei, in the latest round of Chinese-Czech diplomatic tensions.

China on Friday praised the Pacific island of Kiribati for cutting ties with Taiwan, the second diplomatic defection from Taipei to Beijing in less than a week. The move is a coup for Beijing just weeks before it marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Taiwan and Kiribati severed ties on Friday after the tiny Pacific nation decided to switch diplomatic recognition to China, the second defection to Beijing by one of Taipei's allies this week.

Nikki Haley, a former rival to Donald Trump for the US Republican presidential nomination, said on Saturday that isolationism was not healthy and that the party should stand with the country's allies, especially in the face of China.

China on Saturday said that top diplomat Wang Yi and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held "candid, substantive and fruitful" talks in Thailand's capital Bangkok, where issues including Taiwan were discussed.

The United States has expressed disappointment in tiny South Pacific nation Nauru for switching diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China, while a de-facto US envoy to Taipei criticised its "distorted" rationale.

The South Pacific nation of Nauru announced on Monday it was severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan and would instead recognise China, according to a government post on social media.

Taiwan's presidential candidates clashed on Saturday over their positions on the self-ruled island's relations with China, in a debate before an upcoming vote closely watched from Beijing to Washington.

Beijing has sponsored cut-price trips to China for hundreds of Taiwanese politicians ahead of key elections on the island, according to Taiwan sources and documents, unnerving officials with a broad campaign that one called "election interference".

Lai Ching-te, the frontrunner for Taiwan's presidency, named on Monday Taipei's former envoy to the United States as his running mate in January's election, a high-profile diplomat well known in Washington but who Beijing denounces as a separatist.

China and Honduras began formal diplomatic relations on Sunday, with Taiwan accusing Beijing of "coercion and intimidation" to lure away its few remaining allies.

Honduras will establish diplomatic relations with mainland China, President Xiomara Castro said Tuesday, a move that would result in the severing of longstanding official ties with Taiwan.

Nicaragua's decision last week to cut ties with Taiwan was part of a deliberate move by China to target the island's diplomatic allies after it was excluded from a democracy summit hosted by Washington, Taiwan's foreign minister said on Tuesday.

Nicaragua announced Thursday it was breaking diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China, as the administration of Daniel Ortega believes there is only one "legitimate government" representing Chinese interests, Foreign Minister Denis Moncada said.

The European Parliament's first official delegation to Taiwan said on Thursday the diplomatically isolated island is not alone and called for bolder actions to strengthen EU-Taiwan ties as Taipei faces rising pressure from Beijing.

The Shanghai city government said on Tuesday it was suspending official contact with Prague after the Czech capital Prague signed a sister city agreement with Taiwan's capital, Taipei, in the latest round of Chinese-Czech diplomatic tensions.

China on Friday praised the Pacific island of Kiribati for cutting ties with Taiwan, the second diplomatic defection from Taipei to Beijing in less than a week. The move is a coup for Beijing just weeks before it marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Taiwan and Kiribati severed ties on Friday after the tiny Pacific nation decided to switch diplomatic recognition to China, the second defection to Beijing by one of Taipei's allies this week.