Sao Tome Cuts Ties With Taiwan, Moves Back Toward One China Policy

The African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe announced Wednesday that it had cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan, leaving Taiwan with only 21 nations which support its sovereignty.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the BBC broadcaster, the diplomatic shift comes after Taiwan's Foreign Ministry announced earlier on Wednesday that Sao Tome had asked Taiwan for "an astronomical amount" of financial support without apparent reason.

While Taiwan condemned the African island’s actions, China has hailed the decision as a step back onto "the correct path" of the "one China" policy, the broadcaster added.

Since 1949, Beijing has viewed the self-ruled democratic island of Taiwan as a breakaway province. Many countries recognize China and Taiwan as one nation under the "one China" policy. Sao Tome and Principe initially cut ties with China by abandoning the "one China" policy in 1997.