BEIJING — Honduras officially opened an embassy in China on Sunday, months after Central American nation Honduras switched its diplomatic alliance from Taipei to Beijing.
China considers the sovereign Taiwan part of its territory and has vowed to one day rule the island.
This does not allow countries to recognize both Beijing and Taipei, and in recent years has used economic incentives to lure Taiwan’s many allies.
Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina told Chinese state media after the unveiling of the new embassy’s shield that “Honduras-China relations will open up new opportunities and possibilities for strengthening cooperation between the two countries.” Stated.
Honduran President Siomara Castro is due to arrive in Shanghai on Friday for a five-day visit to strengthen ties and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Castro is expected to sign a number of agreements during his visit.
Reina said earlier this month that China was already open to importing melons, shrimp, bananas and other Honduran products.
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang attended a ceremony on Sunday and shook Reina’s hand in front of rows of Chinese and Honduran flags, state news agency Xinhua reported.
In March, Honduras cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in support of the Chinese government.
The switch reduced the number of countries diplomatically recognizing Taipei to just 13.
China opened an embassy this week in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. AFP
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/honduras-opens-china-embassy-after-cutting-ties-with-taiwan Honduras opens Chinese embassy after severing ties with Taiwan