El Salvador cuts Taiwan links as island loses yet another ally
Central American republic the fifth country to switch diplomatic recognition to Beijing since election of independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen two years ago
El Salvador has cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan, just hours after the island’s President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a nine-day state visit including two US transit stops that gave Washington relations a boost.
The Central American nation was the fifth country to end its alliance with Taiwan since Tsai took office in May 2016, leaving the self-ruled island with only 17 countries that formally recognise it.
In a televised address, El Salvador President Salvador Sanchez Ceren said his government had switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. Soon after, Foreign Minister Carlos Castaneda signed a document with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Tuesday to establish formal ties, vowing that San Salvador would abide by the one-China policy, media reports said.
Taiwan accused Beijing of pursuing “dollar diplomacy” to lure away its ally, saying El Salvador had maintained ties with Taipei for 85 years. It also said mainland China’s repeated attempts to poach the island’s allies were no longer just between Taipei and Beijing, but had become an issue for the whole region.
“China is trying to use its increased suppression against Taiwan to showcase its influence and strength in the region,” Tsai said in a brief news conference in Taipei, less than 12 hours after she returned from a state visit to two of the island’s last Latin American allies – Paraguay and Belize – to shore up ties.