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Menendez Statement on El Salvador Severing Ties with Taiwan

WASHINGTON – Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the government of El Salvador decided to break diplomatic ties with Taiwan and establish formal relations with China.

“I am deeply concerned by the decision of the Salvadoran government —under intense pressure from Beijingto sever ties with Taiwan. El Salvador’s decision continues a troubling trend in the region, as the Salvadorans are now the third country  to give in to China’s pressure over the last 18 months. Yet, the Trump administration has failed to develop an effective strategy address these developments. We must take assertive steps to respond to China’s predatory diplomatic and economic practices and its efforts to constrain Taiwan’s international space. The United States should continue to champion democracy, good governance and stability in our own hemisphere as well as Asia.”

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