1 of 1 The flags of Honduras (left) and Taiwan flutter in a square in Tegucigalpa on March 15, 2023. — Photo: AFP The flags of Honduras (left) and Taiwan flutter in a square in Tegucigalpa on March 15, 2023. — Photo : AFP
Taiwan announced this Thursday (23) the convening of its ambassador to Honduras to protest the visit to China of the head of Honduran diplomacy, symbolizing the loss of yet another Latin American ally of Taipei.
“Honduras ignored more than 80 years of friendship (between Taipei and Tegucigalpa) by sending its foreign minister to China, which seriously hurt the feelings of our government and people,” Taiwan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“We have decided to immediately call our ambassador in Honduras to express our deep dissatisfaction,” the text adds.
The announcement follows a visit by Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina to China to discuss establishing diplomatic ties with Beijing.
China claims the democratic and selfgoverning island of Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory which it intends to retake, if necessary by force. On March 14, Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced that the country would establish “official relations with the People’s Republic of China.”
In the name of the “one China” principle, the communist power in Beijing does not accept diplomatic relations with countries that have relations with Taipei. Any recognition by the People’s Republic of China will result in the severing of relations between the country and Taiwan.
If Honduras officially breaks with Taiwan, the island would be left with just 13 countries with which it maintains official diplomatic relations, having lost several Latin American allies in recent years.
Relations with Tegucigalpa
The Honduran foreign minister traveled to China with Deputy Xiomara Zelaya, the daughter of the country’s president, three government officials and diplomats in Honduras said on condition of anonymity. China’s foreign ministry has not confirmed the visit, but on Thursday spokesman Wang Wenbin said the country was “ready to establish ties with Tegucigalpa”.
“China appreciates the Honduran government’s positive remarks on the development of relations with China, and stands ready to build and expand bilateral ties with Honduras on the basis of equality and mutual respect,” Wang said.
Reina on March 15 cited Honduras’ “huge needs” and Taiwan’s refusal to increase its aid to the country to justify establishing ties with Beijing.
economic question
Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America, with almost 74% of its 10 million people living in poverty. Reina estimates that the country’s internal and external debt is US$20 billion (just over R$100 billion), of which 600 million is owed to Taiwan.
The move promised by Castro during the election campaign came weeks after the government announced it would be negotiating with China to build a hydroelectric power station.
Answering questions from lawmakers on reports that Honduras has requested additional aid from Taipei, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu on Thursday said his government was unwilling to accept an “inappropriate request”.
“I want to be honest, we are in a very difficult situation. We are still doing our best and we will do our best until the last minute,” he said.
“But we will not accept unreasonable requests, whether from Honduras or any other country, especially if they are not transparent,” he added.
In a separate statement on the same issue, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said the island would “not engage in dollar diplomacy with China.” He also wanted to “remind the Honduran government not to fall into the Chinese debt trap”.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ingwen will embark on a 10day trip on March 29 to strengthen ties with two of her remaining Central American allies, Belize and Guatemala, and will also make a stop in the United States.
On March 7, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy confirmed that he would meet the President in California. The US State Department said the planned trip was a “transit” and not a “visit”. Beijing spoke out against this meeting.