Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez announced on Monday that his country will switch its diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China, becoming the latest country to break diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
The announcement came after a meeting between President Hernandez and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing.
President Hernandez said that Honduras was taking the “historic and brave” decision to establish diplomatic ties with China, and that it would also work to boost economic and trade ties with the country.
The move leaves Taiwan with only 16 diplomatic allies, most of them small nations in the Caribbean and Central America. China, meanwhile, has diplomatic ties with more than 170 countries.
Taiwan responded to the news by expressing “deep regret” and saying it would immediately cease all official exchanges with Honduras. It also warned other countries against following Honduras’ example.