US recalls envoys from Latin American countries for cutting Taiwan ties

"The Department of State has called back the US Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Robin Bernstein, the US Ambassador to El Salvador Jean Manes and the US Charge d'Affaires in Panama Roxanne Cabral," said a statement on Friday.

"Our three chiefs of mission will meet with US government leaders to discuss ways in which the United States can support strong, independent, democratic institutions and economies throughout Central America and the Caribbean," it added.

China and Taiwan split amid a civil war in 1949; however, Beijing’s leadership pursues their reunification, saying the two will eventually be one.

In 1979, the US adopted the “One China” policy of recognizing Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan.

In March, President Donald Trump, however, signed a new travel bill, allowing senior US officials to go to Taiwan to meet Taiwanese counterparts and vice versa, a move that angered China.

Trump had previously undermined the “One China” policy by taking a congratulatory phone call from the Taiwanese president after his election victory in November 2016.

Meanwhile, relations between Taipei and Beijing have deteriorated since Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016 as her government refuses to acknowledge that Taiwan is part of "one China."

El Salvador, which switched its relations in August, became the fifth diplomatic loss under Tsai's presidency and the third this year so far.

But while most countries have developed formal relations with Beijing rather than Taipei in recent decades, Taiwan still has unofficial ties with powerful countries.

Its most important unofficial ally is the US, which is also Taiwan's leading arms supplier.