Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang (right) and Honduras Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina hold copies of Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and pose for photos following the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, at a ceremony in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on March 26, 2023. Photo:Xinhua

A few hours after Honduras announced to break off "diplomatic relations" with China's Taiwan region, China and Honduras established diplomatic relations on Sunday with the Central American country recognizing Taiwan as an inalienable part of China's territory - a decision standing on the right side of history that China highly appreciates. 

The announcement was made a few days before Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen's planned visit to Central America, which also signaled the tacit understanding between China and Honduras that the "Taiwan independence" will only lead to a dead end, some experts said. Honduras' cutting "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan is also a "slap in the face" to the collusion between the Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities and the US, as the latest responses from Washington and the DPP authorities are filled with frustration and helpless sentiment, they noted. 

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his Honduran counterpart Eduardo Enrique Reina met in Beijing and signed the Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations Between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Honduras on Sunday morning as the two sides have decided to recognize each other and establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level, effective from the date of signature of the communiqué. 

Honduras has decided to stand with 181 other countries around the world and adhere to the one-China principle, establishing diplomatic relations with China without any preconditions, which suits the fundamental and long-term interests of Honduras and its people, Qin told reporters after meeting with his Honduras counterpart. 

"It fully proves that the adherence to the one-China principle is a global responsibility and the correct choice echoing the trend and times. We must tell the DPP authorities that any 'Taiwan independence' secessionist activities go against the will and benefit of the nation, which will lead to a dead end," Qin said. 

The announcement of establishing diplomatic relations was made shortly after the government of Honduras announced to sever "diplomatic relations" with the Taiwan region on Saturday (local time) with instructions from the Honduras President Xiomara Castro, who not only expressed such willingness during her presidential campaign in 2021 but also said in her Twitter account on March 15 that she instructed Reina to undertake this mission.

Some Chinese experts believe that Honduras severing ties with the Taiwan region and establishing diplomatic relations with China is an inevitable event echoing the changes at the regional and global scale, driven by the rise of China's comprehensive national strength. It's also an inevitable choice by countries after they clearly see the trend of the world and the cross-Straits situation while balancing their own interests, experts said. 

As the China-Honduras relations are ushered into a new page, the Chinese side is willing to actively begin all-level friendly interaction and practical cooperation to benefit the two sides, and China also welcomes Castro to visit China soon, Qin said, while also inviting the delegation of enterprises from Honduras to travel and invest in China. 

'A slap in the face'

Shortly after Honduras announced to sever "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan, both the DPP authorities and the US government responded with similar rhetoric as the DPP authorities said Honduras "always had illusions" about the Chinese mainland, continuing hyping on the so-called $2.5 billion of economic assistance that Honduras had asked for, according to local media reports in the island. 

The US State Department said it was important to note China "often makes promises in exchange for diplomatic recognition that ultimately remain unfulfilled," Reuters reported on Sunday. "Regardless of Honduras' decision, the US will continue to deepen and expand our engagement with Taiwan," the US State Department said. 

"Such response only reflects the helpless sentiment of the US, which also has not given up manipulating the Taiwan question at the global stage. It also shows its anxiety as Honduras' breaking off 'diplomatic ties' with Taiwan further proved that more and more countries oppose such manipulation of the Taiwan question," Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The DPP authorities and the US government have been continuously pressuring Honduras after it expressed the intention to establish diplomatic relations with China. For example, the DPP authorities recalled its "envoy" to Honduras to express its "strong dissatisfaction" and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken defended Taiwan by saying the island "had a lot to offer the world" during a recent interview. 

Honduras must have done a lot of work before and after the breakoff of "diplomatic relations'" with Taiwan and faced a lot of pressure from the US and the DPP authorities, but it still decided to sever "diplomatic relations" with the island, which shows that it has the firm determination and the strong desire of respecting the one-China principle, Jiang Shixue, a professor at the Center for Latin American Studies at Shanghai University, told the Global Times on Sunday. 

Tsai will depart on Wednesday on a trip to Central America including Guatemala and Belize, and plans to transit through the US. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said earlier that China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the US and the island as the regional leader of Taiwan plans to meet US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during her transit.

Zheng Jian, chair professor of the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University and director of the National Taiwan Studies Association, told the Global Times on Sunday that the timing of announcing the breakoff of "diplomatic relations" between Honduras and Taiwan reflects a tacit understanding between the two sides, showing the DPP authorities that "Taiwan independence" is a dead end and it also serves as a direct taunt and mockery to the US. 

Honduras became the ninth country to sever "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan since Tsai took office, leaving only 13 countries that maintain the so-called diplomatic relations with the island. It's a heavy blow to the DPP authorities and their US supporters. 

There are only seven countries left in Latin America that maintain so-called diplomatic relations with the island of Taiwan, and in the foreseeable future, "we could see the US and the DPP authorities continue to pressure those countries, but it's the general trend that more countries will adopt the correct stance on the international consensus concerning one China," Jiang said. 

As more and more countries stand on the correct side of the international order, there's no doubt the rest of the countries that maintain "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan will sever relations one by one, which will also affect the future regional election in Taiwan as the DPP authorities touting their "diplomatic performance" would only see "a slap in the face," experts said.