Touch upon this story
Remark
GUATEMALA CITY — Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and the Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei toured the archaeological web site of Tikal on Saturday throughout a visit by Tsai that goals to shore up the self-governing island’s ties with its remaining allies in Central America.
The Taiwanese chief will go to Guatemala and Belize, the island’s solely two remaining allies in Central America, the place Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama and Costa Rica have all switched their help to China. Honduras broke relations with Taipei per week in the past.
Beneath a blazing solar Saturday, Tsai and Guatemalan International Minister Mario Búcaro, representing Giammattei — who suffers from a number of sclerosis – climbed one of many Mayans’ most vital pyramids: Temple II, additionally referred to as Temple of the Masks.
With incense, a Mayan invocation ceremony, a Mayan ball recreation and an trade of presents, Tsai and Giammattei talked as they loved the central sq. of Tikal archaeological park.
The day earlier than, in a joint message, the leaders spoke of unity, solidarity and the values shared by Guatemala and Taiwan.
Tsai thanked Guatemala’s authorities for its help, calling it an ally and associate. She has framed the journey as an opportunity to indicate Taiwan’s dedication to democratic values globally.
On Sunday, Tsai is scheduled to go to a hospital within the western division of Chimaltenango that was constructed with the assistance of a Taiwanese donation.
Earlier than arriving in Guatemala, the Taiwanese president visited the US. She is going to culminate her go to to Central America with a cease in Belize, earlier than returning to the U.S.
The journey is also aimed to solidifying ties in Latin America as China funnels cash into the area and pressures its international locations to interrupt off relations with the self-governed democratic island.
Between 2005 and 2020, the Chinese language have invested greater than $130 billion in Latin America, in accordance with the US Institute of Peace. Commerce between China and the area has additionally shot up, and is anticipated to achieve greater than $700 billion by 2035.
Taiwan now has not more than 13 official diplomatic companions. Greater than half of these are small international locations in Latin America and the Caribbean: Belize, Guatemala, Paraguay, Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.