BBC News:- Nicaragua has become the latest country to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of China. Taiwan said it was 'deeply saddened', adding that Nicaragua had 'disregarded many years of friendship'. The decision was praised by China, which demands that any country that wants diplomatic relations with it must cut existing ties with Taipei. It comes as the US State Department on Friday called for democracies to 'expand engagement with Taiwan'. Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway province to be reunified with the mainland one day. However, Taiwan sees itself as a democratically-governed, independent country, though it has
