China keeps pressing to expel Taiwan from Central America. Its latest move to this end is not just an issue of trade, but a matter of hemispheric security in a key region.

Earlier this month, China issued a not very subtle diplomatic warning to Guatemala: If they want to have greater trade with Beijing, they have to break relations with Taiwan “as soon as possible.”

The foreign minister of Guatemala, Carlos Martínez, said his country wants to get closer to China to develop trade relations. He also noted that they cannot “ignore the weight and power that China represents.”

After the unexpected statement by Guatemalan foreign minister, President Bernardo Arévalo stepped out to clarify the comments by pointing out that diplomatic relations are with Taiwan and trade relations are with China. The statement evoked precisely the line that other Central American leaders have taken in the past before rolling over and accepting the one-China principle.

President Arévalo's accession is perceived by communist China as a golden opportunity to establish diplomatic relations and........

© The Hill