Taiwan has “direct contact” with Honduras’ new president-elect, and with the assistance of the US, the restoration of formal diplomatic relations is “something to look forward to,” a senior foreign affairs official said yesterday.
The National Party of Honduras’ Nasry Asfura on Wednesday was declared the winner of the presidential vote with 40.3 percent of the vote in a tight race against Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, who garnered 39.5 percent.
During the campaign, Asfura and Nasralla both pledged to restore formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which were severed in 2023 by Honduran President Xiomara Castro in favor of China, ending an 82-year alliance.
Photo: AFP
In July, Asfura told Bloomberg that Honduras was “100 times better off” with Taiwan.
He identified a triangle of cooperation involving Taiwan, the US and Israel as his primary strategy for boosting the national economy.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement yesterday said that it would maintain an “open and pragmatic” attitude toward developments with Honduras.
The ministry called on Asfura to implement policies based on the welfare of the public, but also said it remained committed to its consistent stance of maintaining an “open and pragmatic” approach to relations, without offering any further comment on the possibility of restoring ties.
It congratulated Asfura via special channels following the contentious election, a high-ranking ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
Taiwan had established contact with Asfura and Nasralla, as both had taken a pro-Taiwan stance, the source said.
Taipei is confident that Asfura would implement his campaign promise to restore his country’s official relationship with Taiwan, the source said, citing the president-elect’s record for consistency in policy and messaging.
The ministry is optimistic about progress in re-establishing formal diplomatic relations between the two nations, the source said.
However, the government is refraining from making overt comments on the Honduran election in light of the political situation there, they said.
Taiwan is being represented by people engaged in talks with Asfura in the country toward restoring formal diplomatic relations, they said.
US President Donald Trump publicly supported Asfura’s bid for the presidency and backs Taiwan’s quest to repair its relationship with Honduras, the source said.
Additionally, Taipei’s Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project is compatible to Trump’s New Monroe Doctrine, which taken together would likely have a positive effect on regional economic development, the official said.
Taiwanese efforts to bolster the economies of Guatemala and Belize are in sharp contrast with Beijing’s failed implementation of its Belt and Road Initiative in the region, the source said.
The outcome of the election in Honduras can be seen as voters’ rejection of unfulfilled Chinese promises and backlash against its economic coercion, they said.
Taiwan believes that Costa Rican voters might also distance their nation from Beijing in general elections there in February, the source said.
The push to restore ties with Honduras has followed a period of severe economic hardship for the nation’s aquaculture sector.
In July, El Heraldo cited data from the National Association of Aquaculturists of Honduras showing that shrimp exports to Taiwan plummeted by 74 percent in the first six months of this year compared with 2023, with China not picking up the slack.
Customs Administration data showed that the value of Honduran shrimp imports dropped from US$106 million in 2023 to just US$22.36 million in the first 11 months of this year.
Despite Asfura’s win, Nasralla and Honduran Congress President Luis Redondo of the ruling Libre Party have rejected the outcome, alleging the exclusion of ballots that should have been counted, despite the Honduran electoral council declaring the 67-year-old Asfura the victor.
“Honduras: I’m ready to govern. I won’t let you down,” Asfura wrote on X after the win was declared, thanking election officials for validating the result.
He is to take office on Jan. 27.
Additional reporting by AFP
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