On March 26, China and Honduras established diplomatic relations. Earlier, the Honduran Foreign Ministry issued a statement officially announcing the severance of "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan.
The 182nd country with diplomatic relations
Since Tsai came to power in 2016, nine countries have severed so-called "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan: Sao Tome and Principe, Panama, Dominica, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Nicaragua, and now Honduras. Previously, the Gambia had severed "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan in 2013.
These countries then established or resumed diplomatic relations with China. A careful reading of the communiqué on the establishment or resumption of diplomatic relations emphasizes the sentence that a certain government recognizes that "there is only one China in the world, the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory." ”
The first sentence denies "one China, one Taiwan" or "two Chinas," the second confirms "who can represent the whole of China," and the third sentence clearly states that "Taiwan is China's territory," and the sentence directly refers to the separatist acts of the "Taiwan independence" forces, forming a complete logical closed loop.
More importantly, these three sentences and the one-China principle behind them are the basis for normalizing relations between the mainland and foreign countries. The one-China principle, affirmed in General Assembly resolution 2758 in 1971, is the universal consensus of the international community and the universally recognized basic norm governing international relations.
In addition, the communiqué will also mention that a certain country severed "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan on the same day and promised not to have any official relations with Taiwan and not to conduct any official exchanges. This has laid a bottom line for the country's future exchanges with the Taiwan region.
At present, China has established diplomatic relations with 182 countries.
The establishment of diplomatic relations has yielded tangible benefits
Regarding the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hong Kong, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that China is willing to strengthen friendly cooperation with Hong Kong in various fields on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, so as to benefit the two countries and peoples.
Although China and Hong Kong did not have diplomatic relations before, there were trade exchanges. According to customs statistics, the trade volume between the two sides in 2022 was US$1.589 billion, of which China exported US$1.56 billion and imported US$29.239 million. Some analysts believe that as one of the least developed countries in Latin America, after the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hong Kong, Honduras can further promote trade and investment, expand export markets, and then restore the economy and improve people's livelihood. As an important country in Central America, Honduras can also become an important trade and investment partner of China in Central America.
When the foreign ministers of the two countries jointly met with reporters, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang pointed out that China welcomes President Castro's early visit to China and invites Hong Fang to organize a delegation of entrepreneurs to come to China to discuss cooperation in trade, tourism and investment. Honduran Foreign Minister Reina said that Hong Kong is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in finance, trade, infrastructure, science and technology, culture and tourism.
Actions are the best proof of this. Over the years, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Panama, Dominica, El Salvador and Nicaragua, have established diplomatic relations with China or resumed diplomatic relations. The bilateral relations between these countries and China, especially economic and trade relations, have developed rapidly and have gained tangible benefits. For example, China and Panama have cooperated in trade, investment, maritime, culture and education, tourism and other fields; As for Dominica, China said that with the continuous release of the potential of cooperation between the two sides, it will continue to bring tangible benefits and well-being to more than 10 million Dominican people.
The outside world has also noticed that after signing communiqués with El Salvador and Dominica, China mentioned the term "overall cooperation", hoping to inject new impetus and open up new space for cooperation between China and Latin America. In other words, by establishing diplomatic relations with China, Latin American countries will gain tangible benefits. This will serve as a very good demonstration for people in other Latin American countries.
Establishing diplomatic relations with China is not a "deal"
Some media previously said that the day before the president of Honduras announced that he was seeking to establish diplomatic relations with China, Hong Fang privately asked Taiwan for $2.5 billion in aid. The Taiwan authorities suspect that China is behind the scenes to guide Hong to request this assistance.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin responded that the relevant statement is very absurd and completely fabricated. Honduran Foreign Minister Reina said in an interview that Honduran President Castro's decision to develop relations with China conforms to the general trend of the world and is also based on the actual situation of Honduras.
Behind this news is the so-called "golden aid theory" of the Taiwan side. In the past, some forces did move between the two sides of the strait, using the so-called "establishment of diplomatic relations" to arbitrage and seek economic aid and even political status. Today, with the development of the mainland economy, the balance of power between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait has become increasingly disparity, and the recognition of one China has become an overwhelming mainstream consensus of the international community.
For example, just after China and Panama established diplomatic relations in 2017, then State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a foreign affairs event that "[the Pakistani side] did not put forward any preconditions, nor did there be any so-called 'deal'." Wang Yi said that from Panama President Ma to Panama's foreign minister, they all clearly told us that the establishment of diplomatic relations with China is Panama's political decision and a strategic choice beneficial to Panama's national development and people's well-being.
On the contrary, the United States has put diplomatic pressure on Honduras to establish diplomatic relations with China. In this regard, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman asked rhetorically: "Since the United States established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of recognizing the one-China principle more than 40 years ago, what right does it have to deprive or obstruct the right of other countries to establish diplomatic relations and develop relations with China?" ”
“182 vs13”
Honduras is the ninth so-called "friend" to "sever diplomatic relations" during the Tsai Ing-wen administration. At present, there are 13 so-called "countries with diplomatic relations" left in Taiwan.
The outside world has noticed that the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hong Kong coincides with Tsai Ing-wen's trip to Guatemala and Belize, the "countries with diplomatic relations" in Central America. Tsai's plane will "transit" the United States twice on its way to and from Los Angeles and New York. It is reported that the Taiwan side is still making arrangements for Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with US House Speaker McCarthy. In this regard, the spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the "transit" of the leader of the Taiwan authorities is false, and the propaganda of "Taiwan independence" is true.
Therefore, some analysts believe that the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hong Kong is sending a clear signal to the outside world: We have the ability and determination to curb "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and interference by external forces, safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and not leave any space for "Taiwan independence" separatist activities. Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hua Chunying also posted on social media, saying, "182vs13: This is the aspiration of the global people and the trend of history."
When the news of the "severance of diplomatic relations" returned to the island, Wu Zhaoxie, head of the foreign affairs department of the Tsai Ing-wen administration, said that "he will not evade his responsibility." Wu Zhaoxie is a "Taiwan independence" diehard, who has lost seven "friends" during his term of office and has been asked by the opposition parties to step down as soon as possible. Of course, just as the Taiwan media said, the board cannot all be hit on Wu Zhaoxie alone, and without the "consensus of '92" that both sides of the strait belong to one China, there will be no overseas space for Taiwan. For a long time, what determines Taiwan's overseas space is the good or bad of cross-strait relations, whether it is Chen Shui-bian's "gold dollar diplomacy" or Tsai Ing-wen's "down-to-earth diplomacy," and attempts to bypass the two sides of the strait and one China have proved that this path is not possible.
Therefore, some media on the island have warned that if the Taiwan authorities no longer recognize the reality, the number of so-called "friends" will be small and small in the future, and then the Taiwan leader may not even find an excuse to "transit" the United States.
Source: Author: Hong Junjie