Honduras has become China’s new ally after cutting ties with Taiwan

While Taiwan now has only 13 formal allies, the majority of countries, including India, maintain informal ties with the island, which is a world leader in technology, including in the critical chip sector Beijing: Honduras severed its decades-long ties with Taiwan on Sunday and established diplomatic relations with Beijing, declaring that it “recognizes the existence of only one China in the world,” leaving the self-ruled island with only 13 formal allies.

Honduras severed its decades-long ties with Taiwan on Sunday and established diplomatic relations with Beijing, declaring that it “recognizes the existence of only one China in the world,” leaving the self-ruled island with only 13 formal allies.

The latest diplomatic blow to Taiwan comes amid rising cross-Strait tensions, with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) holding large military drills around it last year and earlier this year, and its air force frequently buzzing the island with fighter jets and bombers.

China and Honduras “decided to recognize each other and establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level, effective from the date of signature of this communique,” according to a joint statement issued here by the two countries.

On Sunday, Chinese state councillor and foreign minister Qin Gang and his Honduran counterpart Eduardo Enrique Reina signed the joint communique at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing, raising champagne glasses for a toast after releasing the statement.

The Honduran government recognizes the “…existence of only one China in the world and that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government that represents all of China,” the country’s foreign ministry said earlier in the day.

It went on to say that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, and as of today, the Honduran government has informed Taiwan of the severance of diplomatic relations, pledging not to have any official relationship or contact with Taiwan.”

“…Honduras chooses to stand with 181 countries around the world, recognize and commit to the one-China principle, and sever the so-called “diplomatic relations” with Taiwan,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement.

Honduran President Xiaomaro Castro tweeted earlier this month that she had instructed Foreign Affairs Minister Eduardo Reina to begin negotiations with China and that her intention was to “expand frontiers freely in concert with the nations of the world.”

It prompted Taiwan to recall its ambassador to Honduras last week and warn the Central American country not to fall into China’s “trap.”

Since the sides split amid civil war in 1949, China and Taiwan, which Beijing claims as a breakaway region to be merged with the mainland with force if necessary, have been locked in a diplomatic recognition battle.

According to the “one-China principle,” Beijing regards self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway part of its territory, refuses to recognize official ties between the island and a third country, and has never ruled out using force to merge it with the mainland.

Taiwan’s foreign minister, Joseph Wu, announced on Sunday that Taiwan had severed ties with Honduras in order to “protect its sovereignty and dignity.”

According to an Associated Press report from Taipei, Wu said Castro and her team had always had a “fantasy” about China and had raised the issue of cutting ties before the Honduran presidential election in 2021. He claimed that relations between Taiwan and Honduras were once stable, but that China had not stopped enticing Honduras.

While Taiwan now has only 13 formal allies, the majority of countries, including India, maintain informal ties with the island, which is a world leader in technology, including the critical chip sector.

The US’s ties with Taiwan, as well as its sales of weapons to the island, have been a major source of contention between China and the US. Beijing describes it as meddling in its internal affairs.