Politics

China, Nicaragua elevate bilateral relations to ‘strategic partnership’

Beijing, Dec 20 (EFE).- China and Nicaragua agreed Wednesday to elevate their diplomatic relations to the level of ‘strategic partnership,’ according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

The decision was made official after Chinese President Xi Jinping had a telephone conversation with his Nicaraguan counterpart, Daniel Ortega.

The two countries, which this week celebrated the second anniversary of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations, signed a Free Trade Agreement in August that will come into force in 2024.

According to the Chinese foreign ministry in a statement, the two countries signed a joint declaration in which Beijing recognized Nicaragua’s “achievements” in safeguarding its independence, maintaining stability, developing its economy and improving the well-being of its citizens.

For its part, Nicaragua declared that it “firmly” adhered to the one-China principle and that it “firmly” opposed the independence of Taiwan.

In their conversation, both presidents valued “the momentum of China-Nicaraguan ties in the past two years,” according to the ministry.

“The two heads of state fully affirmed the positive progress China and Nicaragua have made in political mutual trust, practical solidarity and cooperation in various fields, and multilateral collaboration,” according to the note.

For this reason, both parties “unanimously decided to upgrade the bilateral relations to a strategic partnership,” a decision made in the “common interests of the two countries and their peoples and will also help promote the common development and prosperity of the two countries.”

The two countries also reiterated their “firm support for each other on issues involving each other’s core interests and major concerns,” indicating that Nicaragua supported “all efforts made by the Chinese government to achieve national reunification; firmly support China’s stance on issues related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet and other issues.”

Meanwhile, Beijing “firmly supports the Nicaraguan people in independently choosing a development path that suits their national conditions” as well as the country’s “national independence, sovereignty, self-determination, security and development interests” and “resolutely opposes interference by external forces in Nicaragua’s internal affairs.”

It also said that upgrading ties will allow for “exchanges and cooperation between the two governments, legislative bodies, political parties, local governments and other departments.”

Meanwhile, the Nicaraguan side hoped to “adhere to the concepts of openness, greenness and integrity,” and “highly” valued the signing of the FTA between both countries “to expand the scale of trade between the two countries and improve the level of bilateral trade.”

Beijing assured that it will support its companies to invest in Nicaragua and participate in the construction of local infrastructure.

“China welcomes more Nicaraguan specialty products to enter the Chinese market,” according to the text, while the Nicaraguan side hoped to “expand exports to China” and was “willing to further improve and continue to optimize the business environment and provide policy support and convenience for Chinese companies to invest and operate in Nicaragua.”

Likewise, both countries hoped to “strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the field of peace and security, and actively carry out personnel exchanges and technical training,” as well as expand “cultural exchanges and deepen cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism, education, public health, youth, media, sports.”

China and Nicaragua “have broad common interests and similar positions and propositions in international affairs, will further support each other in international affairs, maintain the international system with the United Nations as its core and the international order based on international law,” said the text.

“We jointly oppose hegemonism and power politics, resolutely oppose the politicization and instrumentalization of human rights issues, resolutely oppose any country interfering in the internal affairs of other countries under the pretext of democracy and human rights, and oppose the implementation of unilateral coercive measures and sanctions,” it added.

Diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Nicaragua were initially established in December 1985, during the first Sandinista government (1979-1990).

In 1990, the government of Violeta Barrios de Chamorro established ties with Taiwan and finally, on Dec. 10, 2021, China and Nicaragua re-established diplomatic relations.

According to official data, exchanges between China and Nicaragua last year totaled $760 million. EFE

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