China–El Salvador relations
China–El Salvador relations have grown closer since 2018, when El Salvador switched recognition from Taiwan to the People's Republic of China (PRC). The PRC has an embassy in San Salvador and El Salvador has an embassy in Beijing. In 2018, after talks between top officials, El Salvador ended ties with Taiwan and established ambassador-level diplomatic relations with the PRC.
Trade and economy: In 2019, China exported about $1.5 billion in goods to El Salvador, while El Salvador sent about $105 million to China. China mainly sells machinery, textiles, plastics, and rubber; El Salvador mainly exports electrical components, sugar, and coffee. Trade has grown quickly in the years since 1995.
Controversies and concerns: In 2018, a China-backed company announced plans to lease land around the port of La Unión, near the Gulf of Fonseca, which raised concerns about surveillance. In response, Salvadoran lawmakers passed a rule banning foreigners from buying islands. In 2021, the United States labeled some local officials involved in these plans as corrupt actors tied to PRC influence.
Development and aid: After President Nayib Bukele’s 2019 visit to China, the two countries signed development agreements worth about $500 million, covering projects like a new football stadium, a national library, tourist piers, and the Surf City project as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Bukele also indicated the library would receive tens of millions of dollars in support. In late 2021, El Salvador announced a stadium project with China, planned to cost around several hundred million dollars. China also offered about $150 million in social aid in 2019 and donated 150,000 CoronaVac vaccine doses during the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to 2 million Sinovac vaccines El Salvador had already purchased. In 2019, El Salvador opened its first Confucius Institute at the University of El Salvador.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:33 (CET).