TAIPEI-
The Honduran Presidential Palace confirmed on the 22nd that the country’s Foreign Minister Enrique Reina (Eduardo Enrique Reina) had led a delegation to Beijing on the same day, and was expected to discuss the establishment of diplomatic relations and planned to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. The decades-long relationship is likely to be coming to an end. In response, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the 23rd, immediately recalling Taiwan’s ambassador to Honduras.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the afternoon of the 23rd, stating that since Honduran President Xiomara Castro took office, Taiwan has shown the greatest goodwill in assisting the development of the country, even though President Castro’s tweet on the 14th instructed Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hong to promote To develop official relations with China, Taiwan continues to communicate with Hong Kong on maintaining diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The statement said, “The Honduras government has ignored the traditional friendship between the two countries for more than 80 years, ignored Taiwan’s long-term cooperation achievements in assisting Hong and its goodwill in helping to solve Hong’s problems, and insisted on sending foreign ministers to China to discuss the establishment of diplomatic relations. As a measure of people’s sentiments, the Taiwan government has decided to immediately recall the ambassador to Hong to express our strong dissatisfaction.”
China’s expanding footprint in Central America is at risk. The region was once a strong base for Taiwan, and now the United States is very worried about Beijing’s influence in its backyard. The force keeps expanding.
According to Reuters, Honduran presidential spokesman Elvis Alvarado (Ivis Alvarado) said: “Foreign Minister Reina was instructed by the president to go to China on Wednesday to promote the establishment of diplomatic relations.” Another source said. He pointed out that Reina and his delegation traveled from Panama to Beijing accompanied by Chinese officials.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen is expected to visit Central American friends Guatemala and Belize from March 29 to April 7 and will stop by the United States. It is rumored that she will meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
The “Honduras crisis” broke out just before Tsai Ing-wen’s visit. Taiwan Foreign Minister Wu Zhaoxie said, “The timing is not a coincidence, but carefully arranged.”
Wu Zhaoxie said that Taiwan and Honduras’ diplomatic relations at this stage are not very good at this stage, but they are still working on it. Last effort.
Wu Zhaoxie said that as long as allies can propose plans to benefit the country and the people, Taiwan will always meet the needs of the other party within its capabilities. For example, the latest hospital in Guatemala was built in Taiwan. However, if friendly countries propose huge sums of money without proposing any relevant plans, it is “money diplomacy”.
Wu Zhaoxie said: “Even if there are difficulties in the diplomatic field, we (Taiwan) will never engage in unnecessary monetary diplomatic competition with China.” If Taihong finally breaks off diplomatic relations, the ongoing cooperation plan will also be stopped.
The Honduran foreign minister denied on Wednesday that he had asked Taiwan for an additional US$2.5 billion in aid before seeking to establish diplomatic relations with China, but said that the country had repeatedly asked Taiwan to buy Honduras’ national debt.
Read More.
In this regard, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement on Thursday emphasizing that “the communication and dialogue between Taiwan and Hong Kong have documented records, and the relevant facts will eventually come to light.” The Chinese government should not fall into the Chinese debt trap.