BEIJING (London Post with AP) – Honduras on Sunday established diplomatic ties with China after cutting ties with increasingly isolated Taiwan, which is now only recognized by 13 sovereign states.
Chinese and Honduran foreign ministers signed a joint communiqué in Beijing, and China’s foreign ministry hailed the decision as “the right choice.”
China’s diplomatic victory comes amid heightened tensions between Beijing and the United States, including China’s growing claim to Taiwan’s autonomy, and demonstrates China’s growing influence in Latin America. The new relationship between China and Honduras was announced after the governments of Honduras and Taiwan separately announced the severing of diplomatic ties.
China and Taiwan have been embroiled in a struggle for diplomatic recognition since being torn apart in a civil war in 1949, with Beijing spending billions to gain recognition for its One China policy.
China maintains that Taiwan is part of its territory and will be brought under its control by force if necessary, and has largely refused contact with countries that have formal ties to island democracies. It threatens retaliation against countries merely for increasing contacts.
China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang said the establishment of ties proved that adhering to “one China” policy is winning people’s hearts and is “the general trend.”
“We inform sternly the Taiwan authorities that engaging in separatist activities for Taiwan independence is against the will and interests of the Chinese nation and against the trend of history, and is doomed to a dead end,” he said.
The Honduran Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Twitter that its government recognizes “only one China in the world” and that Beijing “is the only legitimate government that represents all of China.”
It added that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, and as of today, the Honduran government has informed Taiwan of the severance of diplomatic relations, pledging not to have any official relationship or contact with Taiwan.”
Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told a news conference Sunday that Taiwan had ended its relations with Honduras to “safeguard its sovereignty and dignity.”
Wu said that Honduran President Xiomara Castro and her team always had a “fantasy” about China and had raised the issue of switching ties before the presidential election in Honduras in 2021. Relations between Taiwan and Honduras were once stable, he said, but China had not stopped luring Honduras.
Honduras had asked Taiwan for billions of dollars of aid and compared its proposals with China’s, Wu said. About two weeks ago, the Honduran government asked Taiwan for $2.45 billion to build a hospital and a dam and write off its debt, he added.
“The Castro administration has rejected our country’s longstanding aid and relationship and held talks to establish diplomatic relations with China. Our government feels pain and regret,” he said. .
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen said the Taiwanese government “will not engage in meaningless dollar diplomatic competition with China.”
Analysts have warned of the implications of newly formed relations between China and Honduras. Honduran political scientist Graco Perez said Beijing’s claims emphasized benefits such as investment and job creation, but “it’s all an illusion.”
Despite China’s isolation movement, Taiwan maintains strong informal ties with more than 100 of her countries, including the United States. Although the United States does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Taipei claims to be an important partner in the Indo-Pacific.
