Honduras cuts off diplomatic relations with Taiwan and acknowledges China

BEIJING (AP) — Honduras has severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the Latin American nation asserting Saturday that it acknowledges “just one China on the earth.”

The announcement by the Honduran International Ministry, posted on Twitter, as reported by China’s CCTV, comes amid rising tensions between Beijing and america, together with China’s rising assertiveness towards autonomous Taiwan. The transfer leaves Taiwan acknowledged by solely 13 sovereign states.

“The federal government of the Republic of Honduras acknowledges that there’s just one China on the earth and that the federal government of the Individuals’s Republic of China is the one authorized authorities that represents the entire of China,” the ministry mentioned in a press release.

She added, “Taiwan is an inalienable a part of Chinese language territory, and as of right now, the federal government of Honduras has knowledgeable Taiwan to sever diplomatic relations, and pledged to not have any official relationship or contact with Taiwan.”

Taiwan’s International Minister Joseph Wu mentioned on Sunday that the governments of Honduras and China are contemplating establishing relations and that Taiwan has ended relations with Honduras to “defend its sovereignty and dignity.”

Wu mentioned Honduras President Chiomara Castro and her staff have at all times had “fantasies” about China and raised the difficulty of switching relations forward of Honduras’ presidential elections in 2021.

“With Taiwan’s efforts on this matter, relations between Taiwan and Honduras have been as soon as steady in the beginning of Castro’s time period, however China has by no means stopped tempting Honduras,” Wu mentioned at a press convention.

Honduras is the ninth diplomatic ally Taipei has misplaced to Beijing since pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen first took workplace in Could 2016.

China and Taiwan have been locked in a battle for diplomatic recognition for the reason that two sides break up amid civil battle in 1949, with Beijing spending billions to win recognition for its “one China” coverage.

China claims Taiwan as a part of its territory, to be introduced below its management by pressure if mandatory, and refuses most contacts with international locations that preserve official relations with the island democracy. He threatens to retaliate towards the states only for the rise in contacts.

Taiwan nonetheless has relations with Belize, Paraguay, and Guatemala in Latin America, and the Vatican Metropolis. Most of its remaining companions are island nations within the Caribbean and South Pacific, together with Eswatini in South Africa.

Regardless of China’s marketing campaign of isolation, Taiwan maintains robust casual relations with greater than 100 different international locations, crucial of which is america. America doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, however has confirmed that Taipei is a vital companion within the Indo-Pacific area.