China and Burkina Faso signed an agreement to formally establish diplomatic relations on Saturday, days after the West African nation cut ties with self-ruled Taiwan, handing Beijing yet another victory in its campaign to isolate the island. A communique on establishing relations was signed at a state guest house in Beijing by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his counterpart Alpha Barry. Burkina Faso broke off ties with Taiwan on Thursday, becoming the second country to do so within a month and leaving the democratically ruled island with only 18 diplomatic allies around the world, including the kingdom of Swaziland, the only African state. "Now Africa has only one country with which we have not yet established (relations)," Wang said in a speech afterward. "We hope this country can join the big China-Africa family of friendship as soon as possible," he said about Swaziland. China and Taiwan split in 1949 after a civil war won by the Chinese communists. The two sides often use economic support and other aid as bargaining chips for diplomatic recognition. Beijing still considers Taiwan to be a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Chinas hostility to Taiwan has grown since President Tsai Ing-wen took over in Taipei in 2016.