The

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

(PRC) and

São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is an island country in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two archipelagos around the two main isla ...

are both members of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

History

On June 12, 1975, São Tomé and Príncipe and the PRC established diplomatic relations. In 1985, China financed and built a People's Palace in São Tomé and Príncipe. In 1997, São Tomé and Príncipe established diplomatic relations with the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

, prompting the PRC to suspend relations. However, in 2013, the

established a trade office in

, and the next year President

Manuel Pinto da Costa Manuel Pinto da Costa (born 5 August 1937) is a São Tomé and Príncipe, Santomean economist and politician who served as the first president of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1975 to 1991. He again served as president from 2011 to 2016. Life a ...

visited China in a private capacity. David H. Shinn and academic Joshua Eisenman write that São Tomé and Príncipe's presence at the 2006

Forum Macao Forum Macao, officially the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-Operation Between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries, is a multi-lateral economic cooperation forum established in 2003 by China's Ministry of Commerce. Structure and format Forum ...

meeting as an unofficial observer may have begun the process of São Tomé and Príncipe switching its diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the People's Republic of China. It participated as an official observer for the first time in 2013. Bilateral relations between São Tomé and Príncipe and Taiwan were terminated on 21 December 2016. São Tomé and Príncipe recognized the PRC on December 26, 2016. A Chinese embassy was opened in the capital in April 2017. Beijing moved swiftly to provide substantial aid to the archipelago previously provided by Taiwan. In January 2017, the two nations signed a 5-year co‑operation agreement prioritizing areas including tourism, infrastructure, technology, agriculture and fisheries, student scholarships and medical assistance. The Economist reports that Chinese leader "

Xi Jinping Xi Jinping, pronounced (born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has been the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China), chairman of the Central Military Commission ...

declared that China was ready to expand co‑operation to maritime security to combat piracy and transnational organised crime." Sao Tome leader Trovoada confirmed that Chinese aid would include grants, direct budget support and a cancellation of US$17.3 million in bilateral debt. On April 25, 2017, Mr Trovoada disclosed that China would also provide São Tomé with a grant of US$146m for infrastructure projects such as the modernisation of São Tomé International Airport and the construction of a deep‑sea container port, which could serve as a logistic hub for Chinese exports to Central Africa. In February 2020, China's commitment to infrastructure development in

reached new heights as they promised to fund the expansion of São Tomé and Príncipe's international airport. The project is estimated to cost roughly US$31 million.

References

Bilateral relations of São Tomé and Príncipe {{Bilateralrelations-stub

History

See also

References