Beijing applauds Central American Parliament's decision to expel Taiwan

A Chinese mainland spokeswoman on Monday expressed appreciation after the Central American Parliament voted to expel Taiwan after more than two decades as a permanent observer and replace it with China.

Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said that there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is a part of China.

"The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and the general trend," Zhu said. "It once again proves that the Democratic Progressive Party on Taiwan's attempt to seek 'independence' by relying on foreign forces is doomed to fail."

The Central American Parliament, known as Parlacen, on Monday approved of including China as its permanent observer in a meeting held in Nicaraguan capital Managua. The parliament also said in a statement that Taiwan is a province of China.

Parlacen is a six-nation parliament that groups Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Panama, serving as the political institution and parliamentary body of the Central American Integration System.