El Salvador chooses China over Taiwan

Today the signing of diplomatic relations between Beijing and the Central American country. To date, 17 States recognize Taiwan, including the Vatican. Salvadoran President: the turning point towards China will bring "great benefits". The "check-book diplomacy".

Beijing (AsiaNews) - El Salvador has cut diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of those with Beijing. Today in the Chinese capital, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Salvadoran counterpart Carlos Castaneda have signed the related documents (see photo), in which El Salvador commits to recognize "the only China", the continental one, considering Taiwan "a rebel island".

In a televised speech the Salvadoran president Salvador Sanchez, explained the reasons for the change. "China - he said - is the second largest economy in the world, with permanent growth and its results in various fields place it among the most successful countries".

El Salvador had established relations with the Republic of China in 1933, whose government fled to Taiwan after Mao Zedong took power in 1949. According to Sanchez, the turnaround towards popular China will bring "great benefits" and "extraordinary opportunities". Moreover, this choice "corresponds to international laws" and "to the trends of our time".

El Salvador is the fifth state to end relations with Taiwan to choose China, since Tsai Ing-wen won the presidential election on the island in 2016. Beijing fears that the Tsai party works for Taiwan's independence and seeks to weaken its diplomatic strength.

At present, only 17 states recognize Taiwan. In Europe there is only the Vatican. Several of these states in Central America and the Pacific are poor and tied to the economic aid that Taipei offers them; But Beijing convincing game to win them over, "check-book diplomacy".

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