The decision comes as Taipei has worked to build its ties with Somaliland, a breakaway territory that declared independence from Somalia decades ago.

Somalia has banned entry for Taiwanese passport holders, with Taipei accusing China of coercing other countries into isolating Taiwan diplomatically.

The European Court of Justice ordered Malta to close its “golden passport” program, the one of the last of its kind in Europe that allows wealthy people to buy EU citizenship, even after the small island country suspended the program for citizens of Russia and Belarus.

The EU Commission in 2022 took Malta to court over the scheme, which grants foreigners a passport and thereby the right to live and work in any EU country in return for an investment of around 1 million euros.

Malta "cannot grant its nationality – and indeed European citizenship – in exchange for predetermined payments or investments," the court ruled.