The Chinese Communist Party has been working to diplomatically isolate the island nation of Taiwan – which the Chinese have laid claim to as part of their nation and subject to their rule – and their latest campaign has scored a victory. The Central American country of Honduras has officially cut ties with Taiwan and has opened up diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.
The Honduran Foreign Ministry said Sunday that it recognized that there is only one China, with Beijing the sole legitimate government representing it. “Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory and as of this date, the Honduran Government has informed Taiwan about the severance of diplomatic relations, pledging not to have any official relationship or contact with Taiwan again,” the statement read.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang announced that the country had established formal ties with Honduras. Mr. Qin met with his Honduran counterpart and signed a joint declaration on Sunday, according to Beijing state broadcaster China Central Television.
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Asked on Thursday about reports that Beijing had offered Honduras large sums of aid in exchange for diplomatic recognition, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin dismissed the suggestion as “preposterous and groundless,” saying instead that Honduran President Xiomara Castro had made the decision “in response to the trend of the world and in light of the realities of Honduras.”
However, the PRC has used promises of money and other forms of aid in the past to elicit support from smaller, developing nations. Honduras cutting ties with Taiwan leaves them with 13 diplomatic partners scattered throughout Central America and the Pacific. The Vatican remains its only official partner in Europe.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen is currently preparing for a 10-day visit to Guatemala and Belize, two of Taiwan’s diplomatic partners. She also plans to make stops in New York and Los Angeles, the latter stop being where she is supposed to meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
China’s latest move to get these smaller nations to recognize their “One China” policy – the idea that China and Taiwan are part of the same nation and, thus, under the rule of the Chinese government – comes at a time when they are also allegedly in the planning stages of an invasion of Taiwan. There have been intelligence reports and analyses suggesting that such a move could be happening in the next few years.
While, officially, only 13 nations have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, several nations have unofficial diplomatic ties. That includes the United States, which has worked closely with the island nation.
The Wall Street Journal also notes that, while Honduras has been making its moves, “a 160-member delegation led by Markéta Pekarová Adamová, speaker of the lower house of the Czech Parliament, arrived in Taipei.”
Adamová is scheduled to meet with the Taiwanese president Monday “to discuss economic and trade issues, according to Ms. Tsai’s office.”
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