Taiwan now has formal ties with only 17 countries.

Taiwan now has formal ties with only 17 countries. Many of them are smaller, less developed nations in Central America and the Pacific, including Belize and Nauru. Last month, Taipei lost another ally to Beijing when El Salvador became the third country to switch allegiances to China this year. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has vowed not to bow to Chinese pressure and has accused Beijing of luring Taiwan's allies to switch allegiances with generous aid and loan packages.