Taiwan‘s longtime ally Honduras on Tuesday decided to cut ties with the island nation and further isolate Taipei on the world stage.
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What Happened: Honduras president Xiomara Castro, in a tweet, said she has instructed her foreign minister to establish official relations with Xi Jinping‘s China.
Building ties with Beijing was part of Castro’s electoral campaign and China does not allow countries with which it has diplomatic relations to maintain a connection with Taiwan. The Central American nation’s departure would leave Taiwan with only 13 formal diplomatic allies.
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In a tweet on Tuesday, Castro said the decision was “a sign of my determination to fulfill the government plan and expand borders.”
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“We have to look at things very pragmatically and seek the best benefit for the Honduran people,” said foreign minister Eduardo Reina defending the president’s decision.
Meanwhile, Taiwan said it had expressed “serious concerns” to the Honduras over Castro’s announcement. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing Wen urged the country to carefully consider its decision and “not fall into China’s trap” and destroy the long-term friendship between the two countries.
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“Taiwan is a sincere and reliable ally. Our country has always assisted Honduras in its national development to the best of our capabilities. China’s only goal in developing relations with Honduras is to shrink our country’s international space, it has no sincere intentions to cooperate for the good of the Honduran people,” Taiwan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
