Experts tell Senate subcommittee China’s push in Latin America is eroding Taiwan’s diplomatic ties and posing strategic risks

WASHINGTON — Experts told a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee that China’s growing economic, political and information campaigns across Latin America and the Caribbean are pressuring countries to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and raise strategic risks for the United States.

The testimony, delivered by Evan Ellis, research professor of Latin American studies at the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute, and Samantha Custer, director of policy analysis for AidData, outlined the scale and mechanics of Beijing’s regional outreach and proposed a mix of economic, diplomatic and security measures to preserve Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic partners.

Why it matters: Witnesses argued the diplomatic losses increase the risk that the People’s Republic of China could isolate Taiwan internationally, which they said would raise strategic pressure in the Indo‑Pacific and create political and economic exposure for the U.S. in its hemisphere. ‘‘If Taiwan is lost as an autonomous democratic ally in Asia, that geographically allows the PLA and PLA Navy to project itself out beyond Guam into the Pacific,’’ Ellis testified.

Ellis and Custer described a suite of PRC tools: large bilateral investments and trade, development finance, paid…