Taiwan Ally Honduras May Turn to China for Coronavirus Vaccines
12 May 2021
Honduras, an ally of Taiwan, may open a trade office in China to gain access to Chinese-made coronavirus vaccines, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said on Tuesday.
Honduras does not have a formal diplomatic relationship with China but is among just 15 countries in the world to maintain diplomatic ties with the nation of Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province.
Honduras is in need of Chinese coronavirus vaccines and may establish a “diplomatic bridge” with China to help convince Beijing to send the Latin American nation a shipment of Chinese-made vaccine candidates, President Hernandez said in a televised speech on May 11. Hernandez suggested that other Latin American nations that have formal ties to China such as El Salvador, Chile, or Mexico could help Honduras establish this “diplomatic bridge” with Beijing and thus help the nation secure Chinese-made vaccines.