Taipei (AsiaNews/Agencies) – El Salvador demanded more than US$ 20 billion from Taiwan to maintain diplomatic ties, this according to ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Tsai Shih-Ying.
The Central American nation wanted “at least US$ 10 million in political campaign contributions, as well as four billion dollars' worth of investment in port development, as well as funding of US$ 20 billion for the surrounding special development district in the future," Tsai Shih-Ying said.
The day after El Salvador broke diplomatic relations, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen attacked China and its expansionist economic policy.
"China's actions around the world [. . .] have already caused serious global instability," Tsai said at Taoyuan airport on her way back from a visit to the United States.
"China's government has been unrelenting and repeatedly exerted pressure, using the severance of diplomatic relations with El Salvador to crush the will of the Taiwanese people to embrace the world," she added.
El Salvador's switch of recognition to Beijing came after Taipei denied repeated requests for massive injections of funding for its Port La Union project, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
"It would be irresponsible to engage in dollar diplomacy to compete with China for allies, or even make illegal political donations," the Ministry said in a statement. "The government of Taiwan will not and cannot go down this path."
