Honduras has ended its decades-long diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favour of ties with China, prompting Taipei to accuse Beijing of using “coercion and intimidation” to lure its few remaining allies.
The Honduran foreign ministry said on Saturday that “the government of Honduras recognises the existence of just one China in the world. And the government of the People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government that represents all of China,” it said.
The ministry said Honduras had notified Taiwan of its decision to break ties and that it would not return to having any relationship or official contact with Taipei.
The move leaves Taiwan recognised by only 13 sovereign states.
China and Taiwan have been locked in a battle for diplomatic recognition since the two sides split amid civil war in 1949, with Beijing spending billions to win recognition for its “One China” policy.
Honduras’s ending of ties with Taiwan had been long expected after the Honduran foreign minister travelled to China last week and President Xiomara Castro said her government would start ties with Beijing.
Shortly after Honduras’s announcement, China announced it was opening ties with Tegucigalpa.
Credit: Aljazeera.com
