On Wednesday, Honduras disputed that it had requested $2.5 billion in help from Taiwan. Before announcing its intention to try to normalise relations with China, saying instead that Taiwan had frequently been asked to purchase Honduran government debt.
The $2.5 billion amount was “not a donation,” according to Eduardo Enrique Reina. The foreign minister of Honduras; rather, it was “a structured refinancing method.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Honduras had requested the humanitarian money from Taiwan. According to a source familiar with the issue, the day before Honduran President Xiomara Castro tweeted that her government will work to normalise relations with China.
Only 14 nations, including Honduras, have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which China claims.
Beijing has been making more of an effort to win over Taipei’s remaining allies by asserting. That Taiwan is not entitled to such relations because it is a Chinese province, a claim that Taiwan vehemently rejects.
Castro said on Twitter on March 14 that she has given the country’s foreign minister the go-ahead. To establish diplomatic connections with China, despite the fact that her administration has not yet legally severed ties with Taiwan.
The knowledgeable source backed up a claim made by Taiwan’s official Central News Agency that Eduardo Enrique Reina. The foreign minister of Honduras, had contacted Taiwan’s foreign ministry on March 13 to demand payment.
Castro, according to the article, did not wait for Taiwan’s reply before sending her tweet.
Reina refuted the claim, claiming that Taiwan had been informed verbally. Of the offer multiple times and that he had written to Taiwan “approximately a week” prior to Castro’s declaration.
Reina had stated last week that Honduras’ choice was influenced in part by the fact. That the Central American nation was “up to its neck” in debt and financial difficulties, including a $600 million debt to Taiwan.
Tien Chung-kwang, Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister, responded to questioning from lawmakers. In parliament earlier on Wednesday by stating that the administration was “still working hard” and would not “lightly give up” on efforts to keep Honduras.
Taiwan has frequently stated that Honduras should not believe China’s “false promises”. Since Castro’s tweet, but Taipei has also stated that it will not engage in “cheque book diplomacy” with Beijing.
According to a report by the Central News Agency, Taiwan’s government believes China was behind Castro’s announcement.
An enquiry for comment was not immediately answered by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. According to diplomatic sources, when nations sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. The announcement is usually swift, giving Taiwan maybe only an hour or so’s notice.
According to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
The Honduras situation, in which the country has still not established relations with China a week after the declaration, is quite unusual.
