Nauru severing ties with Taiwan 'on the right side of history'

The one-China principle is a fundamental principle that cannot be traded and a prevailing international consensus, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, dismissing Taiwan's claims that Nauru severed ties with the island over financial interests.

The Parliament of Nauru unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday to support, endorse and affirm the Nauru government's decision to resume diplomatic relations with China.

"This once again shows that the one-China principle is where the global opinion trends and where the arc of history bends," said Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, at a regular news briefing in Beijing.

Mao dismissed Taiwan media reports that cited "sources" as saying that Nauru severed ties with Taiwan because the Chinese mainland "swooped in" as the region was assessing Nauru's demand for economic aid. Such claims are "nothing but ill-intentioned speculation", she said.

"Those who see 'dollar diplomacy' as a go-to tool need to understand that there are things in the world that money cannot buy," Mao said.

The Nauru government announced on Monday that it was severing ties with the Taiwan region and seeking to reestablish diplomatic relations with China.

This meets the aspirations of the people of Nauru, serves Nauru's long-term interests, and is on the right side of history, Mao said.

Nauru's move has reduced the number of Taiwan's so-called "diplomatic allies" to 12. It came less than a year after Honduras severed ties with the region and established diplomatic relations with China.

Restoring and developing diplomatic relations and carrying out practical cooperation in various fields with China, the second-largest economy in the world, promise broad prospects and will bring unprecedented development opportunities for the Pacific Island country, Mao said.

"We will not set restrictions for fields of cooperation," she said, adding that both sides need to determine specific subjects of cooperation through consultations.