Taiwan further isolated as El Salvador switches allegiance to China

Just 17 countries recognise Taiwan after El Salvador ties foundered on financial aid

Lily Kuo in Beijing
Tue 21 Aug 2018 00.07 EDT

El Salvador and Taiwan have severed official ties, with the central American country switching its diplomatic allegiance to China.

Taiwan’s foreign minister, Joseph Wu, said on Monday that Taipei had terminated bilateral ties with El Salvador and was recalling all staff from the country.

According to Wu, El Salvador had been asking Taiwan to provide an “astronomical sum” in financial aid for a port project that Wu said would leave both countries in debt. Meanwhile, Taiwan had received reports that El Salvador was considering establishing ties with Beijing in exchange for investment and aid.

“The Taiwanese government is fully against competing in dollar diplomacy with China,” Wu said. Wu said Taiwanese officials had met with representatives of El Salvador’s government during president Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to Latin America last week. “Unfortunately, despite our tireless efforts we were still unable to save our diplomatic relationship with El Salvador,” he said.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/21/taiwan-further-isolated-as-el-salvador-switches-allegiance-to-china