The minister said the decision to sever ties with Taiwan is rooted in “pragmatism, not ideology” as the country struggles economically.
The Honduran foreign minister said Wednesday that a decision by pursue diplomatic relations with China and the abandonment of ties with Taiwan were motivated by economic interests rather than ideology.
Speaking to Canal 5 TV station, Eduardo Enrique Reina said rising debt and the need for more investment prompted the decision, which was announced by the Honduran president on Tuesday. Xiomara Castro.
“The global situation is complicated. We have to open up,” Reina said. “We need investment. We need cooperation.
The minister’s comments highlighted the dilemmas faced by countries seeking strong economic ties with the United States, a staunch supporter of Taiwan, and China, which sees the island of 23 million as self-governing. as its own territory without the right to state-to-state ties.
If Honduras follows through on this week’s announcement, Taiwan will be left with only 13 official diplomatic allies.
Honduras is one of Central America’s poorest countries with nearly 75 percent of the population living in poverty.
Reina said Honduras has asked Taiwan to double the $50 million in aid it receives each year and consider “realigning” the country’s $600 million debt to the island.
When Honduras did not receive a positive response, Reina said the Castro administration decided to pursue diplomatic relations with the Chinese government, in a development he said was rooted in “pragmatism, not lust.” ‘ideology”.
The decision was made after conversations with American and Asian allies, according to the minister, who added that he also wanted to strengthen ties with Washington and other countries.
But the move could have repercussions for relations between Honduras and the United States, the Central American country’s biggest trading partner.
Washington looks at Beijing as its main geopolitical rival, and ties between the two nations have deteriorated on many points of tension in recent years, including trade, the status of Taiwan, China’s claims in the South China Sea and a American push against Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Late Tuesday, Republican U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy said on Twitter that Honduras was “getting closer to communist China as the world moved away from it”. He added: “The Honduran people will suffer.
But on Wednesday, Reina pointed out that 171 other countries have official diplomatic relations with China and not with Taiwan. The United States is one of those countries, but it is also the most important ally and a key supplier of weapons.
Reina added that Honduran officials would likely meet with their Chinese counterparts in the coming days to formalize the relationship, having already contacted the Chinese ambassador to Costa Rica to begin talks.
Costa Rica is one of many other countries in the region, including Nicaragua, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic, which have also abandoned Taiwan in favor of relations with China in recent years.
This trend demonstrates the willingness of many poor countries to avoid choosing sides tensions rise between the United States and China, both considered important sources of potential trade and investment.