Honduran President Xiomara Castro said her government would seek to establish formal diplomatic relations with China, potentially depriving Taiwan of one of its few remaining official allies.
(Bloomberg) — Honduran President Xiomara Castro said her government would seek to establish formal diplomatic relations with China, potentially depriving Taiwan of one of its few remaining official allies.
“I have instructed our Foreign Affairs Minister Eduardo Reina to pursue the opening of official relations with the People’s Republic of China,” Castro said on Twitter.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday it expressed its grave concern to Honduras about the matter. China’s only goal China for establishing ties with the Central American nation was to limit Taiwan’s space internationally, it added.
While the move would mean Taiwan was officially recognized by just 13 countries, President Tsai Ing-wen has worked to raise the self-governing island’s profile on the world stage during her tenure. Tsai says Taiwan deserves broader recognition and greater support given its status as a democracy.
Read: US Assesses China Doesn’t Want War in Taiwan, Spy Chief Says
The US, Japan and other nations have recently made bigger displays of support for Taiwan, which has a population of around 23 million people. President Joe Biden has repeatedly stated that the US would defend against a Chinese attack, comments that have angered Beijing. In December, the US authorized up to $10 billion in weapons sales to Taiwan over five years.
Earlier this year, the Czech Republic’s new president, Petr Pavel, drew a stiff rebuke from Beijing after holding a phone conversation with Tsai days after his election. He later said he hopes to meet Tsai, who leaves office next year after serving the maximum of two four-year terms.
China views Taiwan as part of its territory and vows to bring it under its control, through force if necessary, and it welcomed the comments by Castro.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing in Beijing that his nation “stands ready to develop friendship and cooperation with all countries in the world including Honduras on the basis of the one-China principle.”
(Tweet translation: “I have instructed Foreign Minister Eduardo Reina to manage the opening of official relations with the People’s Republic of China, as a sign of my determination to fulfill the government plan and expand frontiers freely in harmony with the nations of the world.”)
The last nation to switch diplomatic relations to Beijing from Taipei was Nicaragua in 2021. The Pacific Island of Kiribati did so in 2019.
Paraguay, which recognizes Taiwan, holds general elections next month. The ruling Colorado Party has historically has been pro-Taiwan, and a key driver behind not recognizing China.
–With assistance from Debby Wu and Cindy Wang.
(Updates with comments from China’s Foreign Ministry and adds more context.)
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