Relationship dossier
People's Republic of China
El Salvador
Relationship assessment
A cooperative relationship built on diplomatic realignment and bilateral development and economic engagement.
People's Republic of China toward El Salvador
+35China established diplomatic relations with El Salvador in 2018 and pursued bilateral cooperation through proposed development and infrastructure projects and economic engagement.
El Salvador toward People's Republic of China
+30El Salvador established diplomatic relations with China in 2018, ending its formal relationship with Taiwan, and has pursued bilateral economic and development cooperation with Beijing.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship has a cooperative foundation following El Salvador's 2018 diplomatic realignment and subsequent Chinese engagement on development and economic projects. The extent to which proposed initiatives have been implemented is uncertain.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
China and El Salvador established diplomatic relations in 2018 after El Salvador ended formal ties with Taiwan. China has since pursued bilateral cooperation, including development and infrastructure projects, while El Salvador has supported closer economic engagement with China. The relationship is cooperative, though the scope and implementation of promised projects and the durability of specific commitments remain uncertain.
Key developments
El Salvador established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and ended formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Major uncertainties
- The implementation and outcomes of Chinese-supported infrastructure and development projects are unclear.
- The scope of bilateral trade and investment commitments is uncertain.