World

Honduras establishes diplomatic ties with China after ditching Taiwan

  • 26. Mar 2023. 20:41
  • By The EU Times
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Honduras has established diplomatic ties with China, becoming the latest country to break away from Taiwan in favour of Beijing.

The move was announced on Saturday, with Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez saying in a statement that the country was making the change to “strengthen its foreign policy” and “improve the living conditions of its people.”

The announcement follows a similar move by the Dominican Republic, which established diplomatic relations with China in May.

The decision is another blow to Taiwan, which has been seeking international recognition as an independent nation since China and the United Nations began recognizing mainland China in 1971.

Taiwan has seen its diplomatic ties with several countries shrink over the years, with the latest losses coming in late 2018 when Burkina Faso and the Solomon Islands both switched their allegiance to China.

China has been accused of using economic and political pressure to persuade countries to switch sides.

Taiwan has accused Beijing of using “dollar diplomacy” to persuade countries to cut ties with Taiwan and recognize China as the sole government of Chinese people.

Honduras and China have not yet released details of their agreement, but it is expected that Honduras will benefit from increased investment and trade opportunities with China.

The announcement came just days after China and Honduras signed an agreement to cooperate on infrastructure projects in the Central American country.

For China, establishing ties with Honduras strengthens its growing influence in the region and keeps Taiwan from gaining recognition from other countries.

For Honduras, it opens up new opportunities for economic development and closer relations with the world’s second-largest economy.