December 27, 2021
Regarding the announcement by the Nicaraguan government that based on the so called “one China principle,” the former premises of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Embassy in Nicaragua will be confiscated and transferred to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) responds as follows:
The Republic of China (Taiwan) is an independent, sovereign democratic nation not subordinate to the PRC. In accordance with related international law and Article 45 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, following the termination of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Nicaragua on December 10, 2021, the Nicaraguan government is obliged to protect the premises of the R.O.C. (Taiwan) Embassy, together with its property and archives. The Taiwan government cannot accept and strongly protests the unlawful occupation of its property and its unlawful transference to the PRC.
The Taiwan government strongly condemns the gravely unlawful actions by the Ortega regime in ordering the R.O.C. (Taiwan) Embassy in Nicaragua to withdraw within two weeks, which is not commensurate with international practice and disregards the provisions of international law. The Taiwan government further condemns the arbitrary obstruction by the Nicaraguan government of the symbolic sale of its property to the Catholic Church in Nicaragua and the announcement of its occupation on December 27.
Following the unilateral termination of diplomatic relations with Taiwan on December 10, the Nicaraguan government violated international practice by demanding that all Taiwanese diplomats and personnel be recalled from Nicaragua by December 23. Under these difficult circumstances and extreme time constraints, the R.O.C. (Taiwan) Embassy, duly responsible for handling Taiwan’s government property overseas, symbolically sold its office premises to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Managua for the purpose of serving the public interest. The transaction agreement was signed by the two parties on December 22 and notarized by local attorneys. The Catholic Church pledged to maintain and utilize the former embassy premises appropriately.
In the face of the joint suppression of democratic Taiwan and the Catholic Church by President Ortega’s dictatorial regime and China’s totalitarian government, MOFA reiterates that Taiwan has never been a part of the PRC and that the Chinese Communist Party regime has no right to either interfere in Taiwan’s foreign affairs or inherit Taiwan’s State owned property. MOFA urges the international community to jointly condemn such malevolent actions by the Nicaraguan and Chinese governments and requests that all sectors assist the Catholic Church in Nicaragua to fight for its due rights so that the former embassy property can be registered under and transferred to the Catholic Church in Nicaragua.