Photo/Illutration Honduras President Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento addresses the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 20, 2022. (REUTERS)

TEGUCIGALPA/TAIPEI--Honduran President Xiomara Castro said on Tuesday she had instructed the country’s foreign minister to bring about the opening of official relations with China, a move that threatens to further diminish Taiwan’s dwindling pool of allies.

The leader of the Central American country had floated the idea of cutting ties with Taiwan and starting relations with China during her electoral campaign but said in January 2022 she hoped to maintain ties with Taiwan.

China does not allow countries with which it has diplomatic relations to maintain official ties with Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties.

If Honduras does end relations with Taiwan, it will leave the island with only 13 diplomatic allies.

Opposition Honduran lawmaker Tomas Zambrano told local TV the decision would likely affect the country’s relationship with the U.S., its top trade partner, noting that many families depend on remittances sent from the north.

The U.S. has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is its most important international backer and arms supplier, a consistent source of friction in Sino-U.S. relations.

“We have to look at things very pragmatically and seek the best benefit for the Honduran people,” Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Reina told local TV on Tuesday.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said it had expressed serious concern to the Honduran government and urged it to consider its decision carefully and not “fall into China’s trap.”

A source familiar with the situation in Taiwan said the island needed to exhaust “every possible means” to maintain diplomatic ties with Honduras.

In December 2021, Nicaragua broke its longstanding ties with Taiwan, switching allegiance to China and declaring that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory.”

The U.S. State Department had at the time encouraged countries to maintain their ties with Taiwan and said Nicaragua’s decision did not reflect the will of the people as its government was not freely elected.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Honduras.

Within Latin America, Guatemala, Belize and Paraguay are among the few countries that are still among Taipei’s allies.

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