AS PANAMA’S links with The People’s Republic of China are on fast-forward with a team of government and business negotiators  currently in Beijing  negotiating  a Free Trade  Agreement, (FTA) and Chine  construction consortia poised to begin work on massive transportation  projects  The president of El Salvador, Salvador Sánchez Cerén, announced on Monday night the rupture of diplomatic relations with Taiwan to replace them with China.

China and Taiwan are led by rival regimes since the end of the civil war in 1949. The island enjoys an autonomous government but never declared its independence. Beijing has always considered it one of its provinces.

Sánchez Cerén said that he based his decision by virtue of declaration 2758 of the UN that recognizes "only one China". Taiwan is now recognized by only 17 countries.