Honduras has officially established diplomatic ties with China and severed them with Taiwan, ending an 82-year relationship, claiming there’s “only one China in the world.”
“Today, the Chancellor of the Republic, Eduardo Enrique Reina, fulfilling instructions from Mrs. Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento, President of the Republic and accompanied by a delegation made up of Deputy Xiomara Hortencia Zelaya Castro and Ambassador Patricia Licona. Foreign Ministry Advisor, signed with Mr. Qin Gang, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, the document official for the establishment of diplomatic relations at the Ambassadorial level between the
Republic of Honduras and the People’s Republic of China,” Honduras’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Saturday.
“The two governments agreed to develop friendly ties on the basis of the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression, no intervention in each other’s internal affairs, equality, mutual benefit and coexistence peaceful.”
“The two countries also agreed to cooperate on issues of mutual interest by which will jointly promote, in their respective instances, the signing of agreements in cooperation areas such as finance, trade, infrastructure, energy, technology, culture, tourism, education and health, among others, based on the benefit mutual and shared integral development,” the ministry added.
Honduras said it recognizes “only one China in the world.”
“The Government of Honduras recognizes that there is only one China in the world and that The Government of the People’s Republic of China 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 the severance of diplomatic relations, pledging not to have any official relationship or contact with Taiwan.”
Honduras is the ninth diplomatic ally that Taipei has lost to Beijing, bringing the total number of countries that recognize Taiwan down to 13, according to The Guardian.
A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry responded to Honduras’ statement on ties with China.
“Standing up for the one-China principle is the right thing to do. It has the overwhelming support of the international community and represents the prevailing trend of the world. China welcomes the Honduran government’s positive statements on developing ties with China. We stand ready to establish and grow bilateral relations with Honduras on the basis of equality and mutual respect,” the post reads.
Shortly after Honduras made its announcement, Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, confirmed that ties had been officially severed.
Read the official statement below:
It is with deep regret that today we end our diplomatic relations with Honduras.
For many years, we have upheld the belief that working within the full extent of our capabilities, and by taking a forward-looking and pragmatic approach, we can support the long-term, substantive development of our diplomatic allies. We will not engage in a meaningless contest of dollar diplomacy with China.
These past few years, China has persistently used any and all means to suppress Taiwan’s international participation, intensify its military intimidations against Taiwan, and disrupt regional peace and stability.
But its pressure and coercion will not change the fact that the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other. And they cannot erode the Taiwanese people’s staunch commitment to freedom and democracy or our determination to engage wholeheartedly with the world.
The people of Taiwan have proven to the world that we do not give in to threats. Taiwan’s connections and cooperation with our diplomatic allies and like-minded countries, and our joint efforts to advance international security and well-being, will only expand and grow stronger.
We will continue to stand with our diplomatic allies and like-minded global partners as we work toward a better future for all.
The people of #Taiwan have proven to the world that we do not give in to threats. We will continue to stand with our diplomatic allies and like-minded global partners as we work toward a better future for all. pic.twitter.com/cryJMRlRp3
— 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) March 26, 2023
The Guardian reported:
Despite China’s campaign of isolation, Taiwan retains robust informal ties with more than 100 other countries, most importantly the US. The US doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Taiwan but has maintained that Taipei is an important partner in the Indo-Pacific.
Taiwan still has formal ties with 13 nations including Belize, Paraguay and Guatemala in Latin America, and Vatican City. Most of its remaining partners are island nations in the Caribbean and South Pacific, along with Eswatini in southern Africa.
Many of the allies receive financial assistance from Taiwan, or have access to Taiwan’s medical system or scholarships at Taiwanese universities. The ministry of foreign affairs confirmed on Sunday that with the ending of ties with Honduras, 170 students would lose their scholarships at the end of the current semester.
Tsai is scheduled to visit Belize and Guatemala this week. On Sunday, Wu said he didn’t have any evidence that Honduras’s announcement was timed to coincide with the trip but said it was “highly suspicious” and seemed to be intentional.
“The Chinese always try and manipulate events to distort our diplomatic relations,” he said, adding that their earlier information had been that talks between Beijing and Honduras were not nearing an end.
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