Honduran president due in Taiwan in surprise state visit

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The outgoing Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was owed to commencement a three-day astonishment sojourn to Taiwan connected Friday arsenic the self-ruled island, which is besides claimed by China, worries that the adjacent president of the Central American federation whitethorn interruption disconnected relations and power to diplomatic ties with Beijing.

Hernández and his woman volition conscionable President Tsai Ing-wen arsenic portion of a solemnisation of 80 years of diplomatic relations betwixt Taiwan and Honduras. He volition besides sojourn the Central American Bank for Economic Integration bureau successful Taipei, a Honduran improvement bank.

Hernández’s travel comes conscionable weeks up of the statesmanlike predetermination successful Honduras. He is owed to permission bureau successful January and has go progressively isolated him arsenic helium is facing allegations of ties to cause traffickers from U.S. national prosecutors successful New York. His member had been arrested successful Miami successful 2018 by U.S. authorities connected suspicion of cause trafficking.

Politically, there’s small to summation successful his trip. Hernández volition not beryllium capable to tally for bureau again, said Antonio C. Hsiang, a prof astatine La Academia Nacional de Estudios Y Estrategicos, who studies Latin America studies. Instead, Hernández is apt successful Taiwan to question support, fiscal oregon otherwise, helium said.

Taiwan, meanwhile, is acrophobic astir the predetermination arsenic 1 of the starring candidates has openly said she is successful favour of establishing ties with China, which means Honduras volition cease recognizing Taiwan arsenic a country.

Xiomara Castro, the statesmanlike candidate, said successful a June 28 station connected her Facebook page: “I judge successful multipolarity and due to the fact that of that I suggest opening planetary relations with continental China, which would assistance the state incorporated into the marketplace with the marketplace of the world’s top growth.”

China has been connected a run to poach Taiwan’s allies, of which lone 15 remain. China has been utilizing diplomatic and economical methods to transportation countries to power their diplomatic designation from Taiwan to China.

China says Taiwan is not a state and is simply different province, to beryllium reunified by unit if necessary. Taiwan says it has fundamentally been functioning independently arsenic a state since the 2 sides divided aft a civilian warfare successful 1949.

Associated Press writer Marlon González successful Tegucigalpa, Honduras contributed to this report.