Associated Press

Beijing, January 20:

China and Grenada agreed today to resume formal ties, handing Beijing a victory in its hard-fought but mostly symbolic competition with rival Taiwan for diplomatic partners. The step would require Grenada to break relations with Taipei. Beijing refuses to have ties with any government that recognises Taiwan, which the mainland claims as part of its territory.

Taiwan pursues diplomatic ties as a way to assert its status as a sovereign government and lavishes aid on the mostly small, poor nations with which it has relations. Beijing works equally hard to block them in order to support its claim to the self-ruled island. Grenada was one of 27 mainly African and Latin American nations that recognise Taiwan instead of China. The agreement was signed by Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and his Grenadian counterpart, Elvin Nimrod.

“The restoration of diplomatic relations is an important political decision, because the ‘one China’ policy is widely recognised by the international community,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry had no immediate comment.