Taiwan's foreign minister says Washington should be concerned for strategic reasons that Taiwan is losing its diplomatic allies in Latin America to rival China.

Latin American nations have been switching relations from U.S. ally Taiwan to China, a top American strategic competitor, raising concerns in Washington about Chinese inroads in America's backyard.

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu on Thursday seemed to imply that Washington could use its influence to help Taiwan hang on to its remaining Latin American allies.

Wu's comments came a day after El Salvador's president-elect said he has not decided whether to continue relations with China and accused Beijing of not being respectful to his country.

El Salvador switched ties from Taiwan to China in August, in a blow to the island's Latin American diplomacy.