These Are All the Friends Taiwan Has Left in the World

(Bloomberg) -- Taiwan just lost another diplomatic ally -- and the 14 it has left only account for 0.2% of global gross domestic product, according to calculations based on World Bank data. 

Nicaragua’s decision to cut ties with Taipei and recognize Beijing on Friday was part of an enduring pressure campaign by China to isolate the democratic island it considers a breakaway province. 

China makes severing all diplomatic ties with Taipei a precondition for recognition from Beijing. Taiwan, for its part, asserts it’s a de facto sovereign nation separate from the People’s Republic. 

Taiwan’s most economically powerful diplomatic partner is Guatemala, which had Central America’s largest GDP of $77.6 billion in 2020, according to the World Bank. China’s economy that year amounted to $14.7 trillion.

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