Honduras to open diplomatic relations with China

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Honduras President Xiomara Castro said on Tuesday she “instructed” the country's foreign minister to open official diplomatic ties with China, in a move that would end its official relationship with Taiwan.

“I have instructed Foreign Minister Eduardo Reina to manage the opening of official relations with the People's Republic of China, as a sign of my determination to fulfill the Government Plan and expand the frontiers with freedom in the concert of the nations of the world,” Castro said on Twitter.

In January 2022, the leader of the Central American country said that opening relations with China was not on her agenda. However, the Honduran Foreign Minister, Edurado Reina, and the Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Xie Feng, met Jan. 1 during the inauguration of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia.

A few days later, the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry expressed his "serious concern" over the meeting between Reina and Xie.

With the opening of diplomatic relations with China, Honduras would join other Latin American countries including Panama, El Salvador, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua in breaking off relations with Taiwan in recent years in favor of the Asian giant.

Relations between Honduras and China had deteriorated in recent years due to Tegucigalpa's official recognition of Taiwan as a state.

China sees self-ruled Taiwan as Chinese territory with no right to state-to-state ties so it does not allow countries with which it has diplomatic relations to maintain official ties with Taiwan.

Fewer than 15 countries in the world still recognize Taipei rather than Beijing.​​​​​​​