Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega said on Friday that the United States would soon cease to be the world’s largest economy in China’s favor, after his country’s restoration of diplomatic ties with Beijing and a split with Taiwan.

“China has become a force that fights poverty and hunger and has developed the economy, science and technology. (…). In a few years, the largest economy in the world will not be the United States, but China,” predicted the master. Ortega at the official military graduation ceremony.

Nicaragua established relations with Beijing during the first Sandinista government (1979-1990), but the government of Violetta Chamorro (1990-1997) cut them off in favor of Taiwan.

The separation from Taiwan came as the United States tightened its sanctions on Daniel Ortega, who was re-elected in November for a fourth consecutive term after imprisoning all of his rivals.

While China and the United States are going through a period of high tension, Washington has responded to this rupture by calling on all democratic countries to “increase their relations with Taiwan.”

Mr. Ortega called the US rhetoric “ridiculous”, criticizing the fact that they “feel they have a right to have relations (with China) because they know it is an economic power. They cannot underestimate it”.

“They are committing the absurd act of punishing China and they think that they will stop growth, as they are doing with the Russian Federation and as they are doing with many countries in the world,” the Nicaraguan president added.