Taiwan loses 2nd ally in week as Kiribati cuts diplomatic ties

Taiwan on Friday lost its second diplomatic ally in a week after the Pacific island nation of Kiribati switched its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said his government has responded by cutting diplomatic ties with Kiribati and terminating all bilateral cooperative projects, effective immediately.The move leaves only 15 countries that recognize the self-ruled Taiwan as a sovereign entity. The Solomon Islands cut diplomatic ties with it on Monday.In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China "highly appreciates the Kiribati gove…READ FULL ARTICLE