NYT WORLD: In Blow to Taiwan, Honduras Switches Relations to China
By Amy Chang Chien and Emiliano Rodríguez Mega
Section: World
Source: New York Times
Published Date: March 25, 2023 at 02:00AM
The switch reduced the small number of countries that have ties with Taiwan, the island democracy that Beijing claims as its territory, and was also a rebuff to Washington’s efforts to shore up Taiwan’s allies in Central America. China’s leaders are trying to isolate Taiwan as they demand that it accept unification, while the United States has been trying to shore up the island’s security and standing.
The allegiance of Honduras may seem a minor matter in the decades-long standoff between China and Taiwan, but the island’s diplomatic partners are now so few that any abandonment is a serious setback.
The statement Saturday from Honduras’s Foreign Ministry was terse, saying in part: “Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory and, as of today, the government of Honduras has communicated to Taiwan the severance of diplomatic relations, pledging not to have any further official relations or contact with Taiwan.”
By Amy Chang Chien and Emiliano Rodríguez Mega
Section: World
Source: New York Times
Published Date: March 25, 2023 at 02:00AM
The Central American country changed diplomatic recognition to Beijing, leaving 12 nations and the Vatican still recognizing Taiwan as a sovereign state.
TAIPEI, Taiwan — China has persuaded Honduras to abandon formal ties with Taiwan and establish them with Beijing, a blow to Taipei’s international standing days before the Taiwanese president embarks on a Central American tour that will take her through the United States.The switch reduced the small number of countries that have ties with Taiwan, the island democracy that Beijing claims as its territory, and was also a rebuff to Washington’s efforts to shore up Taiwan’s allies in Central America. China’s leaders are trying to isolate Taiwan as they demand that it accept unification, while the United States has been trying to shore up the island’s security and standing.
The allegiance of Honduras may seem a minor matter in the decades-long standoff between China and Taiwan, but the island’s diplomatic partners are now so few that any abandonment is a serious setback.
The statement Saturday from Honduras’s Foreign Ministry was terse, saying in part: “Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory and, as of today, the government of Honduras has communicated to Taiwan the severance of diplomatic relations, pledging not to have any further official relations or contact with Taiwan.”
Read More at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/25/world/asia/taiwan-honduras-china-relations.html
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