Taiwan: Number of Allies Drops to 17 as El Salvador Cuts Ties

Taiwan has lost another in its dwindling stable of diplomatic allies. Late Aug. 20, Salvadoran President Salvador Sanchez Ceren announced that his country has broken off diplomatic ties with the self-governing island and will turn instead to mainland China. Although the move was anticipated by all parties, China likely timed El Salvador's diplomatic shift to coincide with the completion of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's trip to the Americas. Tsai's visit was meant to shore up ties with allies Belize and Paraguay and included landmark stopovers in the United States along the way. ...