Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Taiwan has expressed its will to potentially improve its relations with Honduras, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
This statement comes after Salvador Nasralla, a Honduran opposition leader, expressed in a recent interview with Radio America his intention to re-establish diplomatic ties with Taiwan if elected president in the upcoming 2025 presidential elections.
Nasralla, who served as Honduras' first vice president from 2022 until his resignation early last year, is currently vying for the Liberal Party's presidential nomination.
The MOFA stressed its commitment to "honesty and openness" in its international relations, including with Honduras, a country that maintained diplomatic ties with Taiwan until March 2023. In its statement, the ministry said Taiwan does not impose preconditions for establishing relations with other countries and has always valued any opportunity to strengthen its international status and expand its global presence.
Nasralla also expressed his disagreement with the free trade agreement (FTA) that the Honduran government is currently negotiating with China. He criticized the government, led by Xiomara Castro and advised by her husband, former president Manuel Zelaya, accusing them of handing over national territory to a foreign power without the need for an FTA.
Nasralla stated that in 2022, Honduras' exports to Taiwan reached US$121 million, while exports to China were only US$11 million. In contrast, imports from China exceeded US$200 million. In addition, he mentioned that the severing of relations with Taiwan had resulted in the loss of 8,000 direct jobs and 50,000 indirect jobs in the shrimp industry.
Finally, Nasralla took to social networking site X to criticize China's unfulfilled promises to countries such as Costa Rica, Panama and El Salvador, former allies of Taiwan. According to MOFA, China's promises to Honduras and other countries in the region have never been fulfilled, which reinforces Nasralla's criticism of the current Honduran administration and its foreign policy decisions.
Main source:
Taiwán abierto a restablecer vínculos con Honduras: MOFA – La Tribuna.
