Taiwan loses friend to Peking

Press, 12 July 1985, Page 6

Taiwan loses friend to Peking

NZPA-Reuter Peking China scored another victory yesterday in its diplomatic duel with Taiwan in the announcement that it would establish formal relations with Bolivia. This reduces the number of countries that still officially recognise the Nationalist Government on Taiwan to 24. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said that China and Bolivia had agreed to establish diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level. In a joint communique Bolivia said that it recognised the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole Government of China, and Taiwan as an inalienable part of China, Peking’s standard formula for recognition.

The communique also said that China “sympath-

ises with the position of the Republic of Bolivia for achieving a settlement of the question of the outlet to the Pacific Ocean through consultations and negotiations.” It gave no details.

The Bolivian Foreign Ministry said that Taiwan’s representative in La Paz had 72 hours to leave the country.

In Taipei, a Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the Bolivian embassy there had closed on Wednesday. The number of countries recognising the Taipei Government as the Government of China has shrunk rapidly in recent years, especially after the United States shifted its embassy to Peking in 1979.

Most of the 24 countries that still maintain embassies in Taipei are Central

American and Caribbean. Only one Asian country— South Korea—and two black African countries—Malawi and Swaziland—still recognise the Government there. The two most important countries with which the Nationalist Chinese still maintain formal ties are Saudi Arabia, the island’s main oil supplier, and South Africa, which has become an important source of minerals, including uranium. Taiwan’s economy has boomed over the last decade, in spite of the continuous series of diplomatic set-backs.

Several countries, including the United States, also maintain unofficial offices in Taipei, and under the Taiwan Relations Act Washington continues to supply military equipment to.the Nationalists in spite of opposition from Peking.