Ceremony in Beijing follows Caribbean state’s decision to abandon TaipeiChina’s foreign minister Wang Yi says countries are ‘writing new history’
The Dominican Republic opened its new embassy in mainland China on Saturday, months after switching its allegiance to Beijing from the self-ruled island of Taiwan.
Dominican President Danilo Medina and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi unveiled a plaque commemorating the occasion in central Beijing.
Speaking at the ceremony, Wang praised the Dominican Republic’s decision to sever ties with Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province, saying China and the Caribbean nation were “writing new history”.
“This is due to the wise decision of establishing diplomatic relations between China and the Dominican Republic.”
Dominican Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas said that by opening the new embassy, the two countries were “opening a very relevant chapter in the international relations of the Dominican Republic.”
The ceremony followed meetings between Medina and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, where the leaders celebrated their new ties and oversaw the signing of 18 agreements to cooperate in a variety of areas from finance to civil aviation.
