Taiwan Cuts Ties with Macedonia

Taiwan severed "diplomatic" ties with Macedonia on Monday as the Balkan nation prepared to restore relations with China's mainland.

Taiwan will immediately close its "embassy" in Skopje and halt all cooperation projects, and will lodge a protest with Macedonia, said "Foreign Ministry" spokeswoman Katherine Chang.

Macedonia had announced over the weekend that it would cut ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing's support.

Macedonian Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva has not yet formally signed an agreement to establish ties with China's mainland, but Chang said ``we have a grip and understanding on the contacts'' between the two sides.

The move leaves Taiwan with just one European ally, the Vatican, among the small group of nations that extends diplomatic recognition to Taiwan. Taiwan's 28 remaining allies are mostly small, poor nations in Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean.






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