TAIPEI, March 16 (Portal) – Taiwan on Thursday warned Honduras not to be tempted by the “poison” of aid from China, no matter how indebted it is, closing an involvement in a bidding war for diplomatic allies with its rival on the mainland off.
Honduran President Xiomara Castro said Tuesday she has asked her foreign minister to establish official ties with China. If the Central American country cut ties with Taiwan, it would leave the island with just 13 diplomatic allies.
Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina said on Wednesday the decision to switch allegiance to China was partly due to Honduras being “dead to its neck” with financial challenges and debt — including $600 million it owes Taiwan.
“We remind the Honduran government that it should not quench its thirst with poison even if it is parched with debt obligations,” Taiwan’s ministry said.
Reina said Honduras asked Taiwan to double its annual aid to $100 million but never received a response. Honduras also attempted to renegotiate the debt, but to no avail.
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Taiwan denied this, saying the Honduran foreign minister’s comments did not reflect the facts of their communications. Taiwan has responded positively to Honduras’ proposals from start to finish, it said.
“We are still trying to maintain diplomatic ties and are doing our best to fight for it, but there is no way we will engage in a monetary competition with China,” the ministry said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in Beijing that former Taiwan allies such as Panama, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador have seen “rapid development” in bilateral ties, bringing them “tangible benefits”.
China is willing to build ties with all countries, including Honduras, on the basis of the “one China principle,” he said, citing Beijing’s position that China and Taiwan are part of one country.
“I believe this will create more opportunities for Honduras’ economic development and the well-being of its people.”
The United States, Taiwan’s main international backer despite the lack of formal ties, has watched with concern as China increased its presence in Latin America at Taiwan’s expense.
The US State Department said Wednesday China is making many promises it is not delivering on.
“The Honduran government should be aware that the PRC (People’s Republic of China) is making many promises that are not being fulfilled,” a State Department spokesman said.
China does not allow countries with which it has diplomatic relations to maintain official ties with Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory with no right to interstate relations, a position Taiwan staunchly disputes.
Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Faith Hung; Additional reporting by Laurie Chen in Beijing; Edited by Himani Sarkar, Robert Birsel and Kim Coghill
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