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Honduras to establish diplomatic relations with China

Wednesday, 15 March 2023 5:32 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 15 March 2023 6:33 AM ]

This picture shows Xiomara Castro, Honduras' first female president, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on November 27, 2022.

Honduras' President Xiomara Castro has announced Tegucigalpa's decision to establish diplomatic ties with China, in a move that would end its official relationship with Taipei.

"I instructed Foreign Minister Eduardo Reinato to begin the process of recognizing the People's Republic of China," Castro tweeted on Tuesday.

During her presidential campaign in 2021, Castro had said in a foreign policy manifesto that she was aiming to establish diplomatic ties with China.

Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Reina later told a local television channel that Tegucigalpa aimed to pursue what was best for the Honduran people.

"We have to look at things very pragmatically and seek the best benefit for the Honduran people," Reina said, as quoted by Reuters.

Beijing promotes the globally-accepted "one China" principle in its international relations. According to the principle, Chinese Taipei is subject to Chinese sovereignty and Beijing is the sole representative of all China.

In reaction to the news, Chinese Taipei said it had expressed its serious concerns to the Honduran government and urged it to reconsider its decision to establish diplomatic ties with Beijing. Taipei's foreign ministry warned Tegucigalpa not to "fall into China's trap."

The autonomy-seeking island's president, Tsai Ing-wen, who is a separatist, has previously accused China of what she calls "dollar diplomacy."

China is the world's second-biggest economy. Its factories provide a wide range of products for almost all nations across the globe, while the majority of world countries have no diplomatic or trade ties with Taipei.