The New American
Taiwan finds itself walking on unsolid ground, its list of allies shrinking.
The pressure on the small island nation, officially called the Republic of China, has intensified as Honduras — one of the few nations that recognized Taiwan’s sovereignty — has now forsaken Taipei and instead established relations with Communist China.
Beijing claims Taiwan and refuses to maintain relations with any country that doesn’t respect that claim. In announcing last week that her country would create ties with Beijing, Honduran President Xiomara Castro simultaneously abandoned Taiwan — a move that not only worries Taipei, but American officials concerned that yet another Latin American country is getting close to China.
As Reuters reports, Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina said Honduras’ decision to establish formal relations with Beijing was driven by financial considerations — the country is “up to its neck” in debt, including $600 million owed to Taiwan.
“We need investment, we need cooperation,” Reina said, adding that the move was about “pragmatism, not ideology.”
In short, Beijing is simply capable of signing a bigger check to Honduras than Taiwan is.
Read Full Article Here…(thenewamerican.com)
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