Taiwan on Wednesday condemned China for seeking to use vaccines for political gain after Taipei's diplomatic ally Honduras said it was considering opening an office in China in a bid to acquire much-needed COVID-19 shots.
Honduras does not have formal relations with China and is one of a group of Latin American nations that have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory.
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said that to buy Chinese vaccines, he would do as the Chinese had suggested and look for a "diplomatic bridge".
The St Kitts Nevis Observer Reuters- Taiwan Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Joanne Ou speaks at a news conference in Taipei, Taiwan, February 11, 2020. REUTERS/Ben Blanchard
Taiwan condemned China on Wednesday for seeking to use vaccines for political gain after Taipei’s diplomatic ally Honduras said it was considering opening an office in China in a bid to acquire much needed COVID-19 shots.
Honduras does not have formal relations with China and is one of a group of Latin American nations that have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory.
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said that to buy Chinese vaccines, he would do as the Chinese had suggested and look for a “diplomatic bridge”. read more
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El presidente de El Salvador Nayib Bukele pronuncia un discurso el 7 de mayo de 2021. Crédito: Marvin Recinos / AFP / Getty
For much of the history of US-Central American relations, this country has aligned with the interests of various military regimes and the oligarchic agro-exporter class.
At different times, some administrations, such as Kennedy and Carter, sought to use different rhetoric about human rights and social justice to undercut support for socialist principles.
President Biden and Vice President Harris are currently navigating a new predicament, between seeking partner governments in the region to control the flow of migrants from the Northern Triangle, and to defend human rights against these same, increasingly authoritarian governments. This is a fundamental change in comparison to the purely transactional approach of former President Trump, for whom authoritarianism was no barrier.
Honduras says El Salvador will help it get Chinese vaccines
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TEGUCIGALPA, May 11, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Honduras said Monday that neighbor El Salvador will help it buy coronavirus vaccines from China, with which Tegucigalpa does not have diplomatic ties.
Honduras is one of 15 countries to maintain an official relationship with Taiwan, which Beijing considers a rebel province of China.
El Salvador in 2018 switched its diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China.
“El Salvador will help us break the geopolitical blockade and buy the vaccine from mainland China,” the Honduran health ministry said on Twitter Monday. “Honduras offers to pay for as many as they can obtain for our people.”
UPDATE 2-Honduran president, in diplomatic shift, says he may open China office Reuters 3 days ago
(Adds quotes from president, details on diplomatic allegiances, background)
TEGUCIGALPA, May 11 (Reuters) - Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said on Tuesday the Central American nation, a long-standing diplomatic ally of Taiwan, could open a trade office in China in a bid to acquire coronavirus vaccines.
Honduras does not have formal relations with China and is one of a group of Latin American nations with strong diplomatic ties to Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory.
Hernandez, frustrated rich countries have hoarded global vaccine supplies, said poorer countries desperately need vaccines and his government was willing to do whatever was necessary to help its people during a global pandemic.