China and Nicaragua Establish Relations, Begin Talks on the Belt And Road To Open ‘a New Era of Development’

Dec. 10, 2021 (EIRNS)—Nicaragua has just demonstrated that small nations can play a critical role in shifting the global strategic crisis. Yesterday, on the first day of the U.K.-U.S. “Summit for Democracy,” called to prove “we are in control here,” Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Moncada announced that Managua was breaking ties with Taiwan and supporting the One China principle. Today, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and Nicaragua’s Investment, Trade and International Cooperation advisor Laureano Ortega Murrillo met in Tianjin, China to sign a Joint Communiqué establishing full diplomatic relations. In the video discussions which followed between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Moncada, and then with the Nicaraguan delegation in China, both sides spoke of starting discussions immediately on Nicaragua joining the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Establishing relations “is a rallying call for both countries to forge ahead side by side and pursue common development,” Wang Yi told his Nicaraguan counterpart. Moncada replied that Nicaragua is honored to inaugurate “a new era of growth” with China, specifying that Nicaragua “stands ready to start talks with China on signing cooperation agreements under the BRI.” He pointed to the “singular importance” of Nicaragua making this decision “in the complex moments such as the world is going through.”

When Wang Yi spoke with Laureano Ortega, and Finance Minister Ivan Acosta who accompanied him, he “warmly congratulated both teams for the record-breaking speed in resuming diplomatic ties. He noted that China is delighted to have a new friend in Latin America and the Caribbean, and a good partner in advancing Belt and Road cooperation and building a community with a shared future for mankind,” the Foreign Ministry reported.

“Nicaragua highly echoes China’s diplomatic vision and proposals, and stands ready to join the great initiative of Belt and Road cooperation and strengthen collaboration with China in various fields to enhance national development and well-being,” Laureano replied. Acosta likewise emphasized “that the resumption of diplomatic ties opens the door to bilateral engagement and to shared prosperity. Nicaragua is convinced that China is a reliable partner for development. It looks forward to learning from China’s experience of success and delivering more benefits to the people of Nicaragua.”

The U.S. State Department was furious. Its hopes of isolating and overthrowing the Ortega government by refusing to recognize the results of Nicaragua’s November 2021 presidential elections, pressuring other nations to do likewise, and piling on more economic sanctions against Nicaragua were outflanked. Press spokesman Ned Price issued a statement last night that was as petty as it was outrageous in insisting that other nations must not recognize China but maintain relations with Taiwan. “The Ortega-Murillo regime has announced it has severed diplomatic relations and ended official contact with Taiwan, but the sham election on November 7 did not provide it with any mandate to remove Nicaragua from the family of American democracies. Without the mandate that comes with a free and fair election, Ortega’s actions cannot reflect the will of the Nicaraguan people, who continue to struggle for democracy and the ability to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms,” Price whined. “We encourage all countries that value democratic institutions, transparency, the rule of law, and promoting economic prosperity for their citizens to expand engagement with Taiwan.”