President Xiomara Castro said on Twitter that he had “instructed” the Foreign Minister to end official relations with Taiwan and establish diplomatic ties with China.
“I have instructed Foreign Minister Eduardo Reina to initiate official relations with the People’s Republic of China, as a sign of my determination to realize the Government Plan and freely expand borders in harmony with the nations of the world,” Xiomara Castro said. used the phrase.
If diplomatic relations with China are opened, Honduras will join other Latin American countries such as Panama, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, which have cut ties with Taiwan in favor of China in recent years.
Relations between Honduras and China have been the scene of a tense process in recent years as Honduras officially recognized Taiwan as a state.
If Honduras also cuts diplomatic relations, the number of countries that recognize Taiwan will decrease to 13.
The Beijing administration, by adopting the principle of “one China”, argues that only they represent the country in the international community, and states that if Taiwan declares independence, it can intervene with military force.
After Mao Zidong came to power in China in 1949, some government members fled to Taiwan and declared independence on the island and established Taiwan, which they also called nationalist China. However, China had not accepted Taiwan’s independence.