Ex-ambassador blames lack of telegram for severed ties; Foreign Ministry denies

In response to recent media reports citing former Ambassador to Nicaragua Wu Chin-mu as claiming in his writings and remarks that the trigger for the severance of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Nicaragua in 2021 was the Tsai Ing-wen administration's failure to send a congratulatory message to Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega upon his re-election, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a solemn clarification and response today. The Ministry emphasized that the government has always maintained the utmost sincerity and effort in preserving and cultivating relations with every diplomatic ally, and would never lightly give up, persisting until the very last moment. However, President Ortega ultimately chose to disregard decades of friendship between the two nations and stubbornly turned toward the embrace of the People's Republic of China. To safeguard national sovereignty and dignity, the government resolutely and proactively terminated diplomatic relations between the two sides. This decision was by no means caused by a single protocol oversight as speculated by external parties.

Looking back at the diplomatic shockwave on December 10, 2021, the Republic of Nicaragua abruptly announced the severance of diplomatic relations with the Republic of China and swiftly resumed ties with the Beijing government, reducing Taiwan's number of diplomatic allies to 14. At the time, the official decision by Nicaragua came after Ortega won re-election in an election plagued by controversy. The international community generally believed that the Ortega regime, having long faced sanctions and criticism from the United States and Western countries, was grappling with severe economic and diplomatic isolation. Consequently, turning to Beijing for political protection and economic support was part of its established geopolitical calculation. Taiwan's role in this dynamic was often constrained by broader great-power rivalry and the authoritarian regime's need to consolidate power; the presence or absence of a single congratulatory message was fundamentally incapable of reversing its predetermined grand strategic pivot.

Nevertheless, the remarks and movements of the former ambassador have drawn high domestic attention, which is inextricably linked to the peculiar circumstances surrounding former Ambassador Wu Chin-mu shortly after the severance of ties. Wu applied for retirement at the exact time Nicaragua announced the diplomatic break and, without returning to Taiwan to report for duty, rapidly acquired Nicaraguan citizenship and even received the honor of honorary citizenship from the Ortega government. At the time, this personnel and personal development sparked intense questioning and criticism in the Legislative Yuan and across society, with many feeling that he failed to stand with the country and made incomprehensible choices at a critical juncture. The resurgence of discussions surrounding this publication not only stirs memories of the diplomatic rupture that year but once again touches a sensitive nerve in Taiwanese society regarding the loyalty and sense of responsibility of diplomatic officials.

From the broader perspective of international relations and Taiwan's diplomatic predicament, China's suppression of Taiwan's international space has never ceased. Beijing authorities have long used dollar diplomacy, infrastructure investments, and political commitments to lure away Taiwan's diplomatic allies. The Nicaragua incident is a classic outcome of "checkbook diplomacy" and authoritarian regimes aligning with one another. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' reiteration of its stance today is not only to restore historical truth but also to defend the dignity and efforts of frontline diplomats. When facing formidable external pressure, Taiwan's diplomatic apparatus consistently fights under conditions of extreme resource asymmetry. Attributing the severance of ties to the failure to send a congratulatory message not only simplifies complex international political realities but also ignores the true nature of an authoritarian dictatorship's pivot.

The reignition of this controversy also highlights the diverse interpretations and reviews within Taiwan regarding foreign policy and historical memory during a transitional period. On one hand, the general public has the right to know the truth about the decision-making process concerning departing allies; on the other hand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must continue to provide public explanations to consolidate national confidence in the country's diplomatic strategy. The survival challenges Taiwan faces in the international community are extremely severe. Every severance of ties serves as a painful lesson, yet it also prompts Taiwan to adjust the allocation of its diplomatic resources, pouring more effort into deepening substantive partnerships with like-minded democracies such as the United States, Japan, and Europe. Only by strengthening its own democratic defense capabilities and economic resilience can Taiwan maintain its footing in the treacherous and shifting international geopolitics.