Taiwan has cut off diplomatic relations with the tiny pacific island of Nauru, after failing to persuade the island's government to come up with a satisfactory reply as to why it has decided to establish diplomatic relations with China.

The decision to cut the 22-year diplomatic tie comes after an ultimatum from Taiwan asking Nauru's President, Rene Harris, to explain his country's switch of recognition passed with no answer.

A Taiwanese Foreign Office official, Chang Siao-yue, said they would not engage China in a pointless contest of 'money diplomacy'.

Taipei has accused Beijing of buying Nauru's friendship with financial aid worth over $135m dollars. Nauru's switch to recognising China cuts to 27 the number of countries allied to Taipei instead of Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service