Honduras switches diplomatic affiliation from Taiwan to China, leaving Taipei recognized by only 13 sovereign nations.
Honduras ended decades of diplomatic ties with Taiwan, paving the way for the Central American country to establish a formal relationship with China.
In a statement on Twitter on Saturday, the Honduran Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “The government of Honduras recognizes the existence of only one China in the world.”
“And the government of the People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing all of China,” it said.
“Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory,” she added.
The ministry said Honduras has informed Taiwan of its decision to cut ties and that it will not establish ties or official contacts with Taipei.
This means that Taiwan is only recognized by 13 sovereign countries.
China and Taiwan have been locked in a struggle for diplomatic recognition since the two sides split in the civil war in 1949, with Beijing spending billions to win recognition for its “One China” policy.
China regards Taiwan as one of its provinces with no right to interstate relations, a view strongly contested by the democratically elected government in Taipei.
The end of Honduras-Taiwan ties had been long-awaited after Honduras’ foreign minister traveled to China last week to establish ties, and President Xiomara Castro said her government would establish ties with Beijing.
China has not yet commented on the Honduran announcement that it would cut ties with Taiwan, but it said last week it was ready to start ties.
Shortly after Saturday’s announcement, the Honduran flag was removed from Taiwan’s foreign ministry, according to Portal news agency.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu confirmed the severance ties at a news conference in Taipei, saying it would close its embassy in Honduras and withdraw its ambassador there.
Wu said Castro, who took office early last year, and her government have “always had illusions” about China.
“The Department of State and the Embassy have collected the relevant information and handled it carefully. However, the Castro administration has also asked us for billions of dollars in huge economic aid and compared aid program prices from Taiwan and China,” Wu said.
Wu added that the Honduran foreign minister wrote to Taiwan on March 13, a day before Castro’s original announcement, demanding a total of $2.45 billion in aid, including building a hospital and a dam and writing off debt.
“It felt like they wanted money and not a hospital,” Wu said.
Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina told Portal last week that the $2.5 billion figure was “not a donation” but “a negotiated refinancing mechanism.”
Honduras is the ninth diplomatic ally Taipei has lost to Beijing since Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen took office in May 2016.
Taiwan still maintains ties with Belize, Paraguay and Guatemala in Latin America, as well as Vatican City. Most of its remaining partners are island nations in the Caribbean and South Pacific, and Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, in southern Africa.
Despite China’s isolation campaign, Taiwan has maintained robust informal ties with more than 100 other countries, most notably the United States.
The Honduran decision to sever ties prompted warnings from the de facto US embassy in Taipei on Saturday that China often makes promises in exchange for recognition that aren’t fulfilled.
After a recent meeting with US officials, the Honduran foreign minister said Washington “respected” Honduras’ decision to establish formal diplomatic ties with China.
Taiwan denied the foreign minister’s statements.