Related report: Clear head required for Gambia issue


The Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday that adherence to the one-China policy is a common understanding of the international community when responding to reports that the African nation of Gambia had broken diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh said on Thursday that the country had ended its 18-year "diplomatic relationship" with Taiwan.

"This decision has been taken in our strategic national interest," said a statement from Jammeh's office, AFP reported on Friday.

"Despite the end of 'diplomatic ties' with Taiwan, we will still remain friends with the people of Taiwan," said the statement.

"There is only one China in the world. Adherence to the one-China principle is a common understanding of the international community and supporting China to realize peaceful reunification is the general trend of the times," Hong said.

"Countries that have established ties with Taiwan are all independent and they choose their partners according to their national interests. This is definitely not caused by so-called pressure from the mainland," Li He, a research fellow with the Institute of Taiwan Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday.

Gambia, one of the most undeveloped countries in the world, is the first country that recognized Taiwan to cut diplomatic ties with the island since  Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou took office in 2008.

Most of the remaining 22 countries that maintain "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan are developing nations.

"While Taiwan's bilateral relationship with other countries has changed from using funds to gain recognition since Ma took office, some countries like Gambia may not agree to the approach as they need economic aid,"Li said.

Gambia established diplomatic relations with the Chinese mainland in 1974. Relations were broken in 1995 after Gambia secured "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan earlier in the same year.

Taiwan has funded $22 million for the construction of a 42-kilometer road linking western Gambia to its capital Banjul, according to AFP on Friday.