Guatemala urged to ditch Taiwan after presidential race is won by candidate who called for stronger trade ties with mainland China


South China Morning Post
Mon, August 21, 2023

Guatemala can best serve its own interests by switching recognition from Taipei to Beijing, China's foreign ministry said on Monday after the presidential victory of a candidate who has previously said he favours closer commercial ties with mainland China.

But Bernardo Arevalo, who was elected on an anti-corruption ticket on Sunday in a result that came as a shock to many observers, has previously said he has no plans to ditch Taiwan.

Taiwan on Monday congratulated Arevalo, a 64-year-old former diplomat for his victory.

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Guatemala, together with Belize, are the only two Central American countries, out of just 13 worldwide, that recognise Taipei instead of Beijing.

Taiwan has lost nine diplomatic allies since 2016, with Honduras being the latest Central American country to switch allegiance in March.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin declined to comment on Arevalo's victory on Monday but said that people in Guatemala had recently expressed hopes of establishing diplomatic relations with Beijing, and such a move "is in line with the fundamental interests of Guatemala and the voice of its people".

"We hope that the new government of Guatemala will make the right decision in the fundamental and long-term interests of its country and its people," Wang said, adding that switching support to the mainland was "the right choice that conforms to the trend of historical development and our times".

In April, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen visited Guatemala and met incumbent President Alejandro Giammattei. Since then Taipei has been watching the election closely.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen poses with the current Guatemalan leader Alejandro Giammattei during her visit to the country. Photo: Reuters alt=Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen poses with the current Guatemalan leader Alejandro Giammattei during her visit to the country. Photo: Reuters>

In Sunday's run-off, Arevalo of the centre-left Semilla party led former first lady Sandra Torres by 58 per cent to 37 per cent with 99 per cent of the votes counted. He will be sworn in as president in January.

In June he told a local radio station that Guatemala needed to adopt "a foreign policy based on its own interests".

"We need to work on our trade relations and expand them in the case of China," he said.

Beijing, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan, refuses to maintain official ties with any country that recognises the island and has stepped up efforts to isolate it internationally in recent years.

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