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No problems with Honduras diplomatic ties: MOFA

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said that diplomatic ties with Honduras remain firm in spite of the Central American nation's president recently saying he would try to shore up ties with all nations, including China.

MOFA spokeswoman Phoebe Yeh (葉非比) said the media had blown Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya's comments out of proportion when he said Tegucigalpa would not rule out establishing closer ties with Beijing.

"The comment was made during Zelaya's visit to Costa Rica and the local reporters have read too much into the remarks," Yeh said, stressing that nothing Zelaya said was contradictory to what he has always said in the past.

Honduras, Yeh noted, has always adhered to the policy that it welcomes the establishment of stronger ties with any country, including China, under the condition that its relations with Taiwan remain unchanged.

Honduras newspaper La Prensa said Zelaya had hinted on a private visit to Costa Rica that his nation could establish diplomatic relations with Beijing. The paper quoted him as saying: "We have the intention of opening relations with all countries in the world, even China."

Taiwanese ambassador to Honduras Lai Chien-chung (賴建中) told the Central News Agency that Zelaya's commitment to Taiwan remains solid.

"Zelaya was the first head of state to express his support for Taiwan's independence and recognized Taiwan's contributions to the Central American region last September at the UN Assembly [in New York]," he said.

During President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) recent trip to Latin America to attend the inauguration of Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom, Zelaya reiterated his support for Taiwan and promised to push for closer Taiwan-Honduras ties during his remaining two years in office, Yeh said.

In other developments, the ministry declined to comment on speculation of possible Taiwan-Barbados ties, except to say Taiwan seeks to establish relations with any country that upholds democratic values and recognizes its sovereignty.

Talk of Barbados switching allegiance from Beijing to Taipei came after the Caribbean nation elected Taiwan-friendly candidate David Thompson as its new prime minister last week.

During his campaign, Thompson promised to break 30-year ties with China once he entered office.

Thompson's rival, outgoing prime minister Arthur Owen, has accused Taiwan of meddling in the election by providing a large cash donation to Thompson's Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

Owen and his Barbados Labour Party said that Barbados' intelligence services had reported that there had been frequent contact between the DLP and Taipei, via St. Kitts, and said that the campaign finance came after Thompson made his promise to switch diplomatic ties.

Taiwan has categorically denied the accusations.
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