Taiwan issues warning as Honduras opens diplomatic relations with China

Taiwan has warned Honduras against taking aid from China amidst tensions in the region, no matter how indebted it was. The island nation also ruled out engaging in a bidding war with Beijing over diplomatic allies.

On Thursday, Taiwan warned Honduras not to be enticed by the “poison” of taking aid from China regardless of how indebted it was. The warning follows Honduran resident Xiomara Castro’s announcement, asking foreign minister Eduardo Enrique Reina to open official diplomatic relations with China. Should Honduras decide to end formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the island would only have 13 diplomatic allies left.

Reina said on Wednesday that the decision to start diplomatic relations with China was partly out of concerns that the country was experiencing a financial crisis and debt, including $600 million of debt that it owes Taiwan.

“We remind the Honduran government that it should not quench its thirst with poison, even if fully parched by debt obligations,” said the Taiwan ministry.

Reina said Honduras asked Taiwan to increase its annual aid to $100 million but received no response. Honduras also sought to renegotiate the debt, but no progress was made, according to Reina. Taiwan denied the allegations, saying that Reina’s comments did not reflect the facts of their communications and that it responded positively to proposals from Honduras.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the island’s former allies who have switched allegiances to China had experienced a “rapid development” in bilateral relations. Wang said China is willing to develop ties with countries on the basis of the “one China” principle that both China and Taiwan are one country.

The United States State Department warned Wednesday that China makes many promises that it does not keep.

“The Honduran Government should be aware that the PRC makes many promises that are unfulfilled,” said the agency’s spokesperson, referring to the People’s Republic of China.

China claims Taiwan as its territory and has opposed all diplomatic relations the island has with foreign governments. Taiwan has repeatedly rejected China’s claims of sovereignty over the democratically-governed island.

Senior US Admiral John Aquilino of the US Indo-Pacific Command expressed concerns over the tensions in the region, saying that the situation was “trending in the wrong direction” but added that the US presence in the region was not an effort to contain or instigate conflict with China despite Beijing’s accusations.