The government yesterday recalled its ambassador to Honduras after the Central American nation sent its foreign minister to China, signaling that it would sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Suspicions concerning ties with Honduras are rife after Honduran President Xiomara Castro on Tuesday last week wrote on Twitter that her country would pursue diplomatic ties with China.
Honduran Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduardo Enrique Reina traveled to China on Wednesday “to promote efforts for the establishment of diplomatic relations” on instructions from Castro, Reuters yesterday quoted Honduran presidential spokesman Ivis Alvarado as saying.
Photo: AFP
The government “has decided to immediately recall the ambassador to Honduras to express our strong dissatisfaction,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Sending its foreign minister to China to discuss the establishment of diplomatic ties “seriously hurt the feelings of the Taiwanese government and people,” the ministry said.
The Honduran government is disregarding the friendship with Taiwan that has lasted for more than 80 years, and it is ignoring Taiwan’s long-term assistance and goodwill in helping solve the country’s problems, it added.
Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Jan Jyh-horng (詹志宏) said that he “really has no comment” on China allegedly spending 10 billion to 20 billion yuan (US$1.46 billion to US$2.95 billion) to establish diplomatic relations considering its dire financial situation.
Honduras reportedly demanded US$2.5 billion in aid from Taiwan prior to the announcement, which Reina denied, saying that it was “not a donation,” but rather a “negotiated refinancing mechanism,” Reuters reported on Wednesday.
Communication between Taiwan and Honduras has been documented and the facts would eventually come to light, the ministry said.
The ministry has been communicating with Honduras since the announcement, which has “proven difficult,” it said.
“Honduras has asked Taiwan for large amounts of money,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) told reporters at the legislature in Taipei yesterday, without confirming the exact figure.
The request came in the absence of a concrete plan for Taiwan to help Honduras, and the amount was beyond what Taiwan could do, he said.
Taiwan would not engage in “dollar diplomacy” with China, he said, adding that “the situation is dire.”
“China is clearly involved” in Honduras’ move to switch ties to Beijing, he said, adding that the ministry and Taiwan’s embassy in Honduras would “strive until the last moment.”
Honduras’ move came ahead of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) planned trip to Central America beginning on Wednesday next week.
Beijing “welcomes Honduras’ positive stance on developing relations with China,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin (汪文斌) said yesterday.
Asked whether China was supporting Honduras to request extortionate aid from Taiwan, he said that the allegation was “very absurd and out of thin air.”
While China continues to suppress Taiwan in the international community, Taiwanese should work even harder to nurture friendship and seek opportunities globally, Wu said.
In the face of complex challenges, the ministry would uphold the spirit of tenacity, flexibility and professionalism to promote “practical diplomacy,” he said.
Additional reporting by CNA and Reuters
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected