Photo: CFP

China and Nicaragua announced the resumption of diplomatic relations on Friday, after their government delegations held talks in North China’s Tianjin. The Central American country previously announced severing “diplomatic relations” with Taiwan island.

The government of the Republic of Nicaragua declared that it recognizes that in the world there is only one China. The People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government that represents all of China and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua.

After Nicaragua made the announcement, the so-called "ministry of foreign affairs" of Taiwan released a statement on Friday and said "relations" with Nicaragua ended "with immediate effect."

There are 14 countries left in the world that maintain "diplomatic relations" with the island of Taiwan.

Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, praised Nicaragua's "right decision" to cut off "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan and said: "We highly commend the right decision made by the Government of Nicaragua, which is in line with the prevailing trend of the times and people's aspirations."

"The one-China principle is a consensus widely accepted by the international community and allows no challenges," Zhang tweeted.

Given the currently tense cross-Straits relations and the US' increasing hyping-up of the Taiwan question, Nicaragua's decision to sever ties with the island of Taiwan strikes a blow to the Democratic Progressive Party's secessionist moves of seeking international recognition, Wang Jianmin, a senior cross-Straits expert at Minnan Normal University, told the Global Times.

It is also a blow to the US because it is using all means, including threats and coercive measures to help the island of Taiwan to maintain “diplomatic relations,” Wang said, noting that cutting ties with the island is the only right choice that fits the international order and historical trend.

Honduran President Xiomara Castro previously said in September that she would "open diplomatic and commercial relations" with the People's Republic of China if she wins her country's local election, according to the AFP.

Her remarks threw Taiwan authority into a panic and made the US uncomfortable. During the election, the US sent a delegation to Honduras and made it clear to both leading presidential candidates that Washington wants the country to maintain "diplomatic relations" with the island of Taiwan.