Taiwan says China uses Honduran elections to “create controversy”

TAIPEI, Sept. 10 (Reuters) – Taiwan on Friday accused China of wanting to use the Honduran elections to “create controversy” and undermine Taiwan’s long-standing ties with the country, saying it will strive to gain support. Honduran relations with Taipei.

Honduras ’main left-wing opposition party, led by ousted former president Manuel Zelaya, said on Sunday that if it wins the November presidential election it will try to“ readjust ”the country’s debt and establish diplomatic relations with China. Read more

Honduras is one of only 15 countries that maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which China claims as its territory without the right to be called a state.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry, which has already warned Honduras not to be drawn to China’s “striking and false” promises, said China has never stopped trying to undermine Taiwan’s relations. with his diplomatic allies.

“Recently, he has even used our ally’s democratic elections to create controversial issues and the false image of unstable diplomatic relations between our country and Honduras,” he said, without giving details.

Faced with the “brutal suppression” of Taiwan’s diplomatic work by China, the government “will take concrete action to demonstrate our country’s assistance in the development of Honduras’ economic and social affairs and strive for party support. Honduran rulers and opposition for Taiwan, “the ministry said.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Honduras has maintained relations for eight decades with the Republic of China, the formal name of Taiwan. This predates the evacuation of the Republican government to Taiwan after losing a civil war with the Chinese Communists in 1949, who established the People’s Republic of China in Beijing.

China’s efforts to win over Taiwan’s remaining allies have alarmed Washington, which has been particularly concerned about Beijing’s growing influence in Central America and the Caribbean.

El Salvador, in 2018, was the most recent country in the region to leave Taipei in favor of Beijing.

Ben Blanchard Reports; Additional reports from Ryan Woo in Beijing; Edited by Tom Hogue

Our standards: the principles of trust of Thomson Reuters.