Pama establishes ties with Chi, ditches Taiwan

Beijing, June 13: Chi and Pama on Tuesday signed an agreement to establish diplomatic relations, a day after Pama severed ties with Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by Beijing. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Pamanian counterpart Isabel de Saint Malo, who is also Pama’s Vice President, signed the joint communique. According to the communique quoted by Xinhua news agency, Chi and Pama will establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level. It said Pama recognised the One-Chi principle and Taiwan as an ilieble part of Chinese territory.

It also said that Pama had severed “diplomatic relations” with Taiwan and undertook not to have any more official relations or exchanges with Taipei. Pama’s decision has dealt a blow to Taiwan, which now has only 20 countries that recognise it. Taiwan has expressed anger over the Pama’s move, accusing Beijing of doing “money diplomacy”. To the south of Chi, Taiwan is an English-speaking democracy, which Beijing sees it as a breakaway province.  After being defeated by the Communists in 1949, Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan, better known as Formosa for hundreds of years. Since then Taiwan, which means beautiful land, has maintained a sort of independence from Chi but never proclaimed it. Ties between Chi and Taiwan took a hit last year when the island elected Tsai-Ing We, whose Democratic Progressive Party has been traditiolly pro-independence.

Chi vows to unite the island with the mainland even if it came to resorting to violence. The latest development will certainly bolster Chi’s claim over Taiwan. Beijing does not mince words in slamming or threatening any country which tries get close to Taiwan. (IANS)