MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

El Salvador confirms its relations with Beijing, and dropping Taiwan

President Nayib Bukele: “Today we have diplomatic relations with China, they are complete, they are established”

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele ratified his country's diplomatic relations with China, almost a year after breaking ties with Taiwan.

Before taking office on June 1, Mr Bukele had said his government would look at how the former administration of president Salvador Sanchez Ceren had switched relations from Taiwan to China in August 2018.

But last week he was all in for Beijing. “Today we have diplomatic relations with China, they are complete, they are established,” he told reporters.

Costa Rica, Panama and El Salvador are the sole Central American countries that recognize Beijing over Taipei.

Taiwan has been self-ruled - in charge of its own affairs and borders - for 70 years.

But Beijing maintains the island is part of its territory and has never given up its threat to retake it, by force if necessary.