OUAGADOUGOU/TAIPEI—Taiwan lost its second diplomatic ally in less than a month when Burkina Faso said on May 24 that it had cut ties with the self-ruled island, following intense pressure from the Chinese regime.
The Chinese Communist Party considers Taiwan a part of its territory and insists on a “one China policy” that precludes any international space for Taiwan. Recently, as it seeks more investments in the African continent, China has pressured African nations to recognize only one China.
Taiwan now has only one diplomatic ally left in Africa—the tiny kingdom of Swaziland—and formal relations with just 18 countries worldwide, many of them poor nations in Central America and the Pacific like Belize and Nauru.
The Burkina foreign ministry’s statement made no direct mention of China, but said “the evolution of the world and the socio-economic challenges of our country and region push us to reconsider our position.”
Speaking at a hastily arranged news conference in Taipei, President Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwan would not engage in “dollar diplomacy” and denounced Beijing’s methods.
