El Salvador Suspends Relations with Taiwan for Cancelling Harbour Project?

In a big setback to Taiwan-El Salvador relations, El Salvador has suspended all dolomitic ties with the self-governed island. El Salvador became the fifth nation to end its alliance with Taiwan in the last two years. The central American Republic has shifted its diplomatic allegiance to Beijing leaving Taiwan high and dry. The announcement was made official by the Foreign Ministry of Taiwan on Tuesday morning.

As reported by SCMP, El Salvador become the fifth nation to cancel diplomatic ties with Taiwan since Tsai Ing-wen was elected as the President. Now Taiwan is only left with 17 nations which formally recognise the sovereignty of the self-governed island.

As stated by Taiwan’s foreign minister, Joseph Wu, El Salvador had urged Taiwan many times in the past for funding to develop a harbour in the east of the nation. But Taiwan had rejected the request made by El Salvador after an inspection from a professional team concluded that the site was not apt for development.

He further added that domestic political reasons too might have scripted the switch of El Salvador’s diplomatic recognition. He also stated that he had led a delegation of Taiwanese officials to El Salvador in July and he was only disappointed to see that the efforts made by the Taiwanese government have not paid off.

On the other hand, Beijing will only be glad about the diplomatic switch made by El Salvador. China has been recklessly trying to restrict Taiwan’s international recognition ever since Tsai was elected. Tsai is from the independent leaning democratic progressive party and that irks China for obvious reasons since it claims Taiwan to be a part of the mainland.

Now amid the China-Taiwan dispute, Taiwan does not have a lot of allies left on its side. Ever since Tsai came to power, Taiwan has been losing allies one after the other and this is surely not in Taiwan’s favour.

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