Honduras establishes diplomatic relations with China

ANKARA

China and Honduras established diplomatic relations on Sunday, the Chinese media reported.

The move came a day after Honduras severed its decades-long diplomatic relations with the Taiwan authorities on Saturday, local English daily South China Morning Post reported.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his Honduran counterpart Eduardo Enrique Reina signed the deal on diplomatic recognition in Beijing, ending relations with Taiwan dating back to the 1940s.

The much-expected move came days after the Honduran foreign minister's visit to China to open ties with the world's most populous country.

In a brief statement on Saturday, the Honduran Foreign Ministry said it recognized the People's Republic of China as the "only legitimate government that represents all of China" and that Taiwan is an "inseparable" part of Chinese territory.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taipei rejects.

In a sharp reaction, Taiwan accused Honduras of demanding exorbitant sums before being lured away by Beijing.

Speaking in Taipei, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu claimed that Hundreds had demanded a total of $2.45 billion in aid, including the construction of a hospital and a dam and to write off the debt.

In a video statement, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen said that Taipei "will not compete with China in a meaningless dollar diplomacy."

Both China and Honduras did not comment on the charge in their respective statements.

Calling the Honduran action a "sovereign decision," the US State Department said: "It was important to note that China often makes promises in exchange for diplomatic recognition that ultimately remain unfulfilled."

Currently, Taiwan has formal diplomatic relations with only 13 countries, mostly from Central America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.