Honduras opened an embassy Sunday in China after recently cutting ties with Taiwan, marking yet another diplomatic victory for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Latin America.
Honduras opened its embassy in Beijing after establishing formal diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in March, Chinese state media reported, according to the Associated Press. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said China and Honduras would establish a model of “friendly cooperation” between countries of vastly different sizes and governmental systems.
Honduras opens China embassy after cutting ties with Taiwan
🔗 https://t.co/Sv0KdVxj2T pic.twitter.com/ILxLTP6rTx
— Hong Kong Free Press HKFP (@hkfp) June 11, 2023
The CCP does not allow countries with which it has formal diplomatic relations to also have relations with Taiwan. The PRC considers Taiwan to be a breakaway province which must reunite with mainland China after a civil war split the two in 1949. China has made increasing diplomatic inroads in Latin America by investing significant resources in the region, wooing partners with major economic cooperation.
Taiwan now only has formal diplomatic relations with 12 out of 193 United Nations states — in addition to the Holy See — despite having the world’s 31st-largest diplomatic network due to establishing informal relations with another 59 countries.
Latin America remains a diplomatic stronghold for Taiwan, home to seven of its 13 official partners. The countries which have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan instead of Beijing are Belize, Eswatini, Guatemala, Haiti, the Holy See, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Tuvalu. (RELATED: China Shuns Biden Yet Again Despite Attempt To ‘Thaw’ Tension)
The embassy opening occurred during a six-day trip to China by Honduran President Xiomara Castro.