BEIJING: China and Burkina Faso signed an agreement to establish diplomatic relations on Saturday, days after the west African nation cut ties with Taiwan in yet another victory for Beijing in its campaign to isolate the island. A communique on establishing relations was signed in Beijing by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his counterpart Alpha Barry.

Burkina Faso broke off ties with Taiwan on Thursday, becoming the second country to do so within a month and leaving the democratically ruled island with only 18 diplomatic allies around the world.

The move had been widely expected after Burkina Faso defected from Taiwan, which has steadily lost ground in a decades-long diplomatic tug-of-war with China in developing countries. Taiwan can now claim only one ally in Africa, Swaziland.

“Now Africa has only one country with which we have not yet established [relations],” Wang said. “We hope this country can join the big China-Africa family of friendship as soon as possible.”

China and Taiwan split in 1949 after a civil war won by the Chinese Communists. The two sides often use economic support and other aid as bargaining chips for diplomatic recognition.

China still considers Taiwan to be a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Relations between Taiwan and China have worsened since President Tsai Ing-wen took over in Taipei in 2016.

Beijing has raised the pressure on Tsai, whose government refuses to acknowledge that Taiwan — whose democratic freedoms stand in stark contrast to Communist-ruled China — is part of a “one China”.

Burkina Faso was the fourth country to cut ties with Taipei since Tsai took office two years ago.

Calling China “the world’s most important economy,” Barry said he expected Burkina Faso to benefit from the relationship.

Taiwan expressed its “strong disappointment, regret and anger” at the move.

The Dominican Republic switched recognition to Beijing earlier in May, terminating a 77-year diplomatic relationship to recognise China. The small African nation of Sao Tome switched recognition to Beijing in late 2016, followed by Panama in June last year.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2018