Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo reaffirmed his country’s relations with Taiwan on Thursday, as one of the dozen countries that retain formal ties to the island.

Arevalo traveled to Taipei this week for the first time since taking office last year, and he said Guatemalans “will walk together” with their “brothers” in Taiwan.

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“We thank our ally for the support we have always received over these more than 90 years. We reaffirm the support of the Republic of Guatemala for the Republic of China, Taiwan,” Arevalo said, referring to the island’s formal name.”On behalf of the people of Guatemala, I extend our hand to the people of Taiwan with the confidence that we will walk together along the path toward shared well-being, which we will make more profound and more comprehensive today.”

The two sides signed agreements to boost their cooperation and investment in technology development.

A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry urged the Guatemalan government “to see the ultimate trend of reunification, follow the will of its people, and make the right choice sooner rather than later.”

Beijing has sought to convince countries across multiple continents that recognize Taiwan’s independence to reverse those decisions, including by incentivizing those governments with the promises of big projects via its Belt and Road Initiative.

Honduras severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 2023, leaving only a dozen countries to still recognize its independence.

During a February press conference with Arevalo, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that “the government in Beijing is committed not only to breaking those ties but also to coming into important sectors of the economy.”

Rubio said the United States hopes to expand Taiwan-Guatemalan relations “beyond just the diplomatic realm to an economic one,” adding, “We’ll do all we can to facilitate more Taiwanese investment in the economy of Guatemala.”

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The Trump administration, during its first couple of months in office, has sought to erode Beijing’s influence in the Western Hemisphere. Most notably, it publicly pressured the Panamanian government to reduce its ties with Beijing due to concerns surrounding the Panama Canal.

“China-based companies continue to control critical infrastructure in the canal area,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in early April. “That gives China the potential to conduct surveillance activities across Panama. This makes Panama and the United States less secure, less prosperous, and less sovereign. And as President Donald Trump has pointed out, that situation is not acceptable.”