The article focuses on the significance of the Chinese ambassador’s arrival in Nicaragua in June 2022, and the context of how in a matter of months the world saw not just a mere rehabilitation, but the strengthening of Sino-Nicaraguan relations after a 30-year break.

The ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, Chen Xi, arrived in Managua on June 22, 2022 and was received at the international airport by government authorities. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua, Denis Moncada, along with the delegate of state investment, Laureano Ortega,welcomed the first representative of the People’s Republic of China to the Central American nation after the official restoration of diplomatic relations between the two nations last December 2021 under the principle of one China.

Andrew Korybko in his January 2022 article entitled “Lessons to be learned from Nicaragua’s recognition of Beijing” notes how “China reopened its embassy in Nicaragua on New Year’s Day after it was closed for over thirty years since 1990 following that country’s mistaken recognition at the time of the Taiwan Province’s rogue authorities. This move follows Managua’s pragmatic decision last month to reverse that decision, which was undertaken after realizing that its prior policy was completely counterproductive.” Korybko describes a pattern within the systemic transition to multipolarity as Nicaragua joins the list of countries that are realizing that supporting the US in its diplomatic war games against third parties simply doesn’t pay. It is clear to many countries that even recognizing Taiwan as a sovereign country will not protect them from US Hybrid Wars.

Following the 1979 Sandinista Revolution, Nicaragua recognized the People’s Republic of China in 1985, however, upon losing power in 1990, the United States took control of the new Nicaraguan administration under right-wing President Violeta Chamorro, who that same year immediately recognized Taiwan as an independent country. Today, Nicaragua has officially cut ties with Taiwan since December 2021 and has officially announced that it only recognizes the People’s Republic of China as a single representative of China and that Taiwan is part of China. In the official meeting was, Denis Moncada, the Foreign Minister of Nicaragua who expressed their current posture: “Our government is saying, we recognize that there is a single state of the People’s Republic of China, we respect and recognize the principle of a single China recognized by history, recognized by the international community, reaffirmed in the United Nations Organization, a brother country, a brother government, a country with whom we have historical relations.”

Both countries are prepared to withstand the wrath of the US Hybrid War in order to enhance a strategic relationship that has already been developing in various forums between the People’s Republic of China and Nicaragua. This relationship points to broad prospects for cooperation and investment in this new multipolar era. Chen Xi also expressed the great impetus that exists on the part of the Chinese state to work together with the Nicaraguan state and companies saying, “We see with great satisfaction that in just over six months, about six months after these diplomatic relations, there has been progress. Very encouraging, not only in the consolidation of our friendship but also in the promotion of collections in different areas. I can inform you that many Chinese companies, Chinese businessmen, are interested in doing business and investments here in Nicaragua.¨Laureano Ortega, delegate for investments of the Nicaraguan state affirmed how both countries have already been “cooperating in different programs that are for the benefit of our peoples, programs that are already being implemented, that are being developed, cooperation in different fields, in different sectors and for this, we thank the People’s Republic of China; for paying special attention to Nicaragua and we reiterate our brotherhood, our fraternal cooperation and our desire to further strengthen ties in all fields between our peoples and governments”.

There is great speculation about the possible resumption of the construction of the canal linking the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, an idea that has come back to life since the reestablishment of Sino-Nicaraguan diplomatic relations. With relations between the governments of China and Nicaragua restored and fortified, they would offer better conditions to facilitate the development of the Interoceanic Canal which was de facto halted in the Central American country by a 2018 Hybrid War coup attempt. The United States escalated its Hybrid War against Nicaragua by exploiting and manipulating the legitimate environmental concerns of parts of the local population, invisibilizing peaceful forms of resolution and escalating the conflict, exaggerating and increasing tension, even organizing physical violence. Should China build an interoceanic canal through Nicaragua the geopolitical, geoeconomic impact would be immense for Nicaragua, with Central America soon becoming akey part of the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as a key region in the global transition to multipolarity within the ever-fluid New Cold War framework.