(CNN)Nicaragua's government has broken off diplomatic relations with Taiwan, declaring "that there is only one China in the world."
"The People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing all of China and Taiwan is an undoubted part of the Chinese territory," Nicaragua's Foreign Minister Denis Moncada said in a televised announcement on Thursday.
"The government of the Republic of Nicaragua breaks diplomatic relations with Taiwan as of today and stopped having any contact or official relationship," he said.
Although Taiwan and China have been separately governed for more than 70 years, Beijing views the democratic island of 24 million people as part of its territory and has regularly stated its aim of "reunification," despite the fact Taiwan has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party.
To try to force Taiwan's hand, Beijing has spent the past 40 years trying to isolate the island by chipping away at its diplomatic allies with offers of support.
In a statement, Taiwan's foreign ministry expressed "pain and regret" at the news and said it would in turn sever diplomatic relations with Nicaragua, halt bilateral cooperation, and evacuate staffers from the country.
