Taiwan 'shocked' at Gambia's decision TAIWAN'S Foreign Ministry says it is shocked after Gambia suspended diplomatic ties with the Asian country. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Ko said the ministry had been forewarned prior to Thursday's announcement by Gambian President Yahya Jammeh. "We were shocked and regretted the decision," Ko told a news conference on Friday. The national flag of Gambia was taken down from the ministry head office at one point early on Friday, but was put back shortly afterwards. Ko said Gambia's decision had nothing to do with Taiwan's policy of diplomatic truce towards China. Jammeh's office said earlier that the decision had been taken "in its strategic national interest." Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou visited Gambia last year, while Jammeh has visited Taiwan nine times, Ko said. Gambian ambassador Alhaji Ebrima N. H. Jarjou, in a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin, denied that the decision was a result of any disagreements between the two countries, according to the state-run Central News Agency. The severing of diplomatic ties reduces the number of Taiwan's diplomatic allies to 22. China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province, and Beijing has in recent years convinced several countries that had sided with Taiwan to switch their support.