And the trip this week to four Central American allies is intended to keep them in the fold. Historically, the Central American countries, like others with formal ties to Taiwan, have found the arrangement favorable because Taiwan spent heavily to maintain them. Indeed, the other Central American countries have found that they can attract Chinese investment without normalizing diplomatic relations. “The Central American republics have it pretty good. “There have been discussions in each of these countries about whether it makes sense to continue the relationship with Taiwan,” Mr. Dussel said.

Source: New York Times January 13, 2017 17:15 UTC