El Salvador has undergone an impressive, yet dystopian, transformation under President Nayib Bukele. Just a few years ago, the historical district was a gang-ridden labyrinth of crumbling structures and dirty market stalls. It is now a glistening tourist mecca of safe pedestrian streets, posh shops and restaurants, and whitewashed civic buildings. At its center is a massive Chinese-built public library, a sprawling glass structure, illuminated at night like a Christmas tree, overshadowing the adjacent Presidential Palace.
During June 2026, the author was in El Salvador, as a guest of the Salvadorian Industry Association (ASI). This article is based on his conversations there with Salvadoran businesspeople regarding China and supporting research.
An array of China-built structures, officially gifted to El Salvador during Bukele’s December 2019 visit to China, symbolize the “new” El Salvador that the president’s effective yet controversial security and other policies have enabled. They include the $54 million library, which reportedly receives 100 tourists and diners in its library-top restaurant for every student seeking books. Chinese gifts also include a tourist pier with high-end beachfront dining at La Libertad, which opened in November 2024 as part of Bukele’s “Surf City” tourism project.
