On Tuesday, Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei assured that his country would continue to maintain a “strong diplomatic relationship” with Taiwan despite military threats from China towards the self-ruled island. During his four-day visit to Taiwan, Giammattei expressed his support for Taiwan’s independence and stated his interest in deepening cooperation with Taiwan in various sectors such as medical care, health, economy, and infrastructure. Despite his remarks, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning criticized Guatemala’s move and emphasized China’s economic role in the country. Guatemala is one of the 13 countries that have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which China considers as its own and has vowed to conquer by force if necessary. In terms of aid from Taiwan, Guatemala’s central bank Governor Alvaro Gonzalez Ricci clarified that the country was not demanding “free money” unlike its former ally, Honduras, which recently severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan and favored China’s relations. Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen has previously stated that her government would not engage in a competition for “meaningless” dollar diplomacy with China.