Taiwan is willing to assist Honduras, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, in response to speculation that the ally would switch diplomatic ties to China because Taiwan did not increase financial support.
Honduran President Xiomara Castro on Tuesday wrote on Twitter that her country would pursue diplomatic ties with China, but did not mention whether it would sever ties with Taiwan.
A day later, Honduran Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduardo Enrique Reina told TV network Canal 5 that the decision to pursue diplomatic relations with China was motivated by “pragmatism, not ideology.”
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
Honduras asked Taiwan to double its annual aid of US$50 million to the country and explore ways to “realign” its US$600 million debt to Taiwan, but did not receive a positive response, he said.
Its domestic and foreign debt amounts to US$20 billion, which is “up to its neck,” he said, adding that it forces Honduras “to make the decision.”
In Taipei, the ministry said in a statement that Taiwan had been discussing cooperative projects with Honduras since Castro took office in January last year.
The government has repeatedly expressed willingness to assist the ally in promoting construction and development within Taiwan’s capabilities, and reminded it not to heed China’s “false promises,” it said.
“Taiwan has always responded positively to Honduras’ proposals and expressed our sincerity to assist Honduras within our capabilities out of goodwill,” it said.
Reina’s statement did not reflect the truth of the communication between the two sides, it said, adding that Taiwan’s effort to communicate with Honduras has never stopped.
Taiwan would do its best to maintain diplomatic relations with Honduras, but it would never enter a “spending competition” with China, the ministry said.
The ministry said Honduras should not to “quench its thirst with poison and end up falling into a Chinese debt trap.”
The ministry also dismissed reports that Honduras’ move might be related to President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) plan to stop over in the US early next month on the way to visit Guatemala and Belize.
It is a fundamental right of Taiwan as a sovereign country to arrange such a trip for its president, and others “have no right to and shouldn’t give reckless judgement,” ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) told a regular news briefing.
The government is preparing the trip as originally planned, he said.
The US Department of State said Honduras should be aware that China makes many promises that would remain unfulfilled.
It is monitoring the situation closely, it added.
“We encourage all countries to expand engagement with Taiwan and continue to stand on the side of good governance, transparency and the rule of law,” a state department spokesperson said.
Taiwan is an important partner of the US and a trustworthy partner to the world, the spokesperson said, adding that the US would continue to deepen and expand exchanges with Taiwan according to its long-term policy.
Additional reporting by CNA
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
Taiwanese Olympic badminton men’s doubles gold medalist Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and his new partner, Chiu Hsiang-chieh (邱相榤), clinched the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Taipei Open yesterday, becoming the second Taiwanese team to win a title in the tournament. Ranked 19th in the world, the Taiwanese duo defeated Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju of South Korea 21-18, 21-15 in a pulsating 43-minute final to clinch their first doubles title after teaming up last year. Wang, the men’s doubles gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, partnered with Chiu in August last year after the retirement of his teammate Lee Yang
The Philippines yesterday criticized a “high-risk” maneuver by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal — a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea — has been a flash point between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Taiwan also claims the shoal. Monday’s encounter took place approximately 11.8 nautical miles (22km) southeast” of the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has criticized as destabilizing. “The Chinese frigate BN 554 was