China willing to work with Honduras 'on basis of one-China principle'

BEIJING: China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday (December 2) said it is willing to forward ties with Honduras "on the basis of the One-China principle”, as the Honduran presidential election hangs on a knife’s edge between two candidates.

AI Brief

China reiterates non-interference in Honduras' election amid speculation about future diplomatic ties.
Presidential candidates Asfura and Nasralla are nearly tied, both hinting at restoring relations with Taiwan.
A switch to Taipei would be a major diplomatic setback for China in Latin America.

“The election is an internal affair of Honduras, and China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs (of other countries),” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian during a regular news conference.

Lin was responding to a question from Reuters on whether China was worried the new Honduran president will end diplomatic relations with Beijing in favour of Taipei and whether Chinese diplomats have told the candidates not to ditch China.

Honduran presidential candidates Nasry Asfura and Salvador Nasralla were practically tied in the latest vote count on Monday (December 1), with both holding just under 40% of the vote in a tight race beset by problems with the results website.

Around midday in Honduras, the electoral authority's website showed Asfura - the conservative National Party candidate backed by U.S President Donald Trump leading Liberal Party candidate Nasralla by just 515 votes. It was not clear how many votes had been counted due to problems with the electoral portal. Rixi Moncada, of the ruling LIBRE Party, was well behind in third with 19% of the vote.

Both Asfura and Nasralla have said they may resume diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which were severed in 2023. Such a move would mark the biggest diplomatic setback for China in the region for decades.