TAIPEI, Taiwan — Burkina Faso has broken diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the West African nation’s foreign minister said Thursday, in the latest blow to the self-ruled island that Beijing has been trying to isolate on the global stage.
Burkina Faso’s decision means Taiwan is recognized as a sovereign nation by only 18 mainly small, developing countries. Earlier this month, the Dominican Republic established diplomatic relations with China and severed ties with Taiwan.
“The evolution of the world and the defined socioeconomic challenges of our region required us to reconsider our position,” Burkina Faso’s foreign affairs minister, Alpha Barry, told journalists.
The minister also announced the immediate closure of Taiwan’s embassy in Ouagadougou and the repatriation of Burkina Faso’s diplomats from Taiwan.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu confirmed the move at a briefing Thursday. His ministry accused Beijing of working to end Taiwan’s 24-year relationship with Burkina Faso.
Taiwan has previously condemned what it called China’s “dollar diplomacy” campaign of luring away Taiwan’s allies with promises of vast financial aid and investment.