Honduras Opens Embassy in China After Breaking Off Ties with Taiwan

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang, left, and his Honduran counterpart Enrique Reina unveil the Honduras Embassy plate during the inauguration of the embassy in Beijing, Sunday, June 11, 2023. Honduras opened an embassy in Beijing on Sunday, Chinese state media reported, months after the Central American nation broke off relations with Taiwan to form diplomatic ties with China. (Li Tao/Xinhua via AP)

BEIJING (AP) — Honduras opened an embassy in Beijing on Sunday, Chinese state media reported, months after the Central American nation broke off relations with Taiwan to establish diplomatic ties with China.

China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his Honduran counterpart Enrique Reina took part in the inauguration of the embassy on Sunday morning, China’s official CCTV said. The report said Honduras still needed to determine the embassy’s permanent location and would increase its number of staff.

Qin pledged that China would establish a new model with Honduras of “friendly cooperation” between countries with different sizes and systems, according to a statement from China’s Foreign Ministry.

The symbol of the two sides’ strengthening diplomatic ties came during Honduran President Xiomara Castro’s six-day visit to China.

Honduras established formal relations with China in March, becoming the latest in a string of countries to break diplomatic ties with Taiwan. China sees self-governed Taiwan as a breakaway province, to be retaken by force if necessary, and prohibits its own diplomatic partners from having formal ties with Taipei.