Salvadoran President Elías Antonio Saca joined other Central American leaders yesterday in voicing his respect for Costa Rica's establishing diplomatic ties with China and, in turn, severing relations with Taiwan.

“In the first place, we respect the sovereign decision of the Costa Rican government and its President to establish relations with China. El Salvador's position is to maintain relations with Taiwan,” Saca said in a press conference.

The Presidents of Guatemala, Honduras and Panama also expressed their “respect” for Costa Rica's decision yesterday.

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias announced Wednesday that Costa Rica had established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC), a move which automatically breaks off its relations with the Republic of China ( Taiwan ), which the PRC regards as illegitimate, and ends almost six decades of cooperation between Costa Rica and Taiwan.

Saca said Costa Rica's decision will “in no way” affect Central American integration because “each country makes the decisions that suit it best.”

“In El Salvador, we're going to continue our relations with Taiwan, without conditions, and we would gladly open relations with China,” if China allowed the country to maintain relations with Taiwan, Saca said.