China at Honduras, bumalangkas ng economic agreements
Handout picture released by the Honduran Foreign Ministry showing Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina (R) holding a meeting with China's Government Advisor, Yu Bo, and their delegations, in Tegucigalpa on April 11, 2023. - A Chinese delegation met with officials in Honduras Tuesday to thrash out bilateral economic agreements to build on official diplomatic ties established last month, the foreign ministry said. Honduras cut ties with Taiwan to switch its diplomatic allegiance to China. (Photo by Honduran Foreign Affairs Secretariat / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / HONDURAN FOREIGN MINISTER" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
Nakipagkita ang isang Chinese delegation sa mga opisyal sa Honduras, upang bumalangkas ng bilateral economic agreements para gawin nang opisyal ang diplomatic ties na itinatag noong nakaraang buwan.
Pinutol ng Honduras ang ugnayan nito sa Taiwan upang ilipat sa China ang kanilang diplomatikong alyansa.
Ikinukonsidera pa rin ng China ang self-ruled, democratic island na bahagi ng kanilang teritoryo na isang araw ay kanilang babawiin, at hindi pinapayagan ang alinmang bansa na kilalanin kapwa ang Beijing at Taipei.
Isang senior Chinese delegation ang nakipagkita sa isang team na pinangungunahan ng Honduran ministers of foreign affairs, economic development, at agriculture.
Ayon sa pahayag ng foreign ministry, “The aim is to ‘advance bilateral relations, especially on trade, agriculture, investment and exports’ for Honduran products and Chinese investors.’ There would be a focus on Honduran exports of shrimp, lobster, melon, coffee and sea cucumber.”
Nangangamba ang Honduran shrimp farmers, na ang diplomatikong paglipat ay maglalagay sa alanganin sa isang kasunduan ng malayang kalakalan sa Taiwan, na pinakikinabangan ng isang industriya na direktang may 23,000 katao bilang trabahador..
Ang hipon ay ang ikalimang pinakamalaking export para sa Honduras, kasunod ng kape, saging, asukal at palm oil.
Ang Latin America ay naging isang pangunahing diplomatikong larangan ng digmaan, mula nang naghiwalay ang Taiwan at China noong 1949 kasunod ng digmaang sibil.
Lumipat ng alyansa ang Nicaragua sa Beijing noong 2021, ang El Salvador noong 2018, ang Panama noong 2017 at Costa Rica noong 2007.
Bukod sa Guatemala at Belize, namalagi ang diplomatic ties ng Taiwan sa Paraguay, Haiti, sa Holy See, Eswatini at pito pang maliliit na Caribbean at Pacific nations.
© Agence France-Presse
