Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) on Thursday arrived in the Dominican Republic to inaugurate a new Chinese embassy, after the country cut ties with Taiwan, as the US ambassador in San Domingo urged countries to make diplomatic decisions based on “long-term goals.”
The US and China have been increasingly jostling for influence in Central America and the Caribbean during the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Earlier this month, the US summoned its top envoys to the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Panama over those countries’ decisions to no longer recognize Taiwan.
In her first public appearance back in the Dominican Republic, US Ambassador Robin Bernstein on Thursday said that her being recalled to Washington “demonstrates that the United States government takes the situation of its neighbors seriously.”
While Bernstein did not specifically mention Taiwan, she said that she had been asked about China’s role in the region during her trip.
“We respect the sovereignty of these countries, but we hope that they make their decisions based on long-term goals,” she said.
Meanwhile, Wang arrived in the Dominican Republic on his way to address the UN General Assembly in New York.
He was yesterday to inaugurate the Chinese embassy in Santo Domingo before heading to Guyana and Suriname.
Central American and Caribbean countries have long supported Taiwan, but last month, the nation cut ties with El Salvador, following the severing of ties with Dominican Republic and Panama, in a sign of China’s growing influence.
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