Diplomatic relations between Taiwan and El Salvador were terminated Aug. 21 to safeguard national dignity following the Central American country’s decision earlier in the day to establish official ties with China, according to Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu.
Taiwan’s embassy and technical missions are to be evacuated, and all cooperation programs ended immediately, Wu said. The move was necessitated by El Salvador’s repeated requests for large-scale assistance with the unfeasible Port La Union development project and heavy contributions to the ruling party’s re-election campaign, he added.
Detailed evaluation by Taiwan technical experts indicated a low chance of project success and high probability of crippling debt for both countries, Wu said. As a responsible member of the global community, Taiwan will not engage in dollar or debt-trap diplomacy, nor make illegal political contributions, he added.
According to Wu, intelligence surfaced in June that San Salvador was looking to establish official relations with Beijing. Extensive efforts were made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to preserve Taiwan’s friendship and ties with El Salvador, including numerous consultations with relevant officials and his visit to the Latin American nation last month.
China’s overtures to El Salvador are unbecoming and run counter to the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, Wu said, adding that they are also causing concern among like-minded countries and international media outlets covering the perils of debt-trap diplomacy.
Taiwan is a sovereign nation and beacon of freedom and democracy, Wu said. It will never be cowed by China’s relentless suppression of its international space, and such efforts only serve to galvanize the people and strengthen the will to resist, he added. (SFC-E)
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