Taiwan says outgoing Honduran president to visit island

Taiwanese foreign ministry welcomes Juan Orlando Hernandez’s visit, first announced by the Honduran presidential palace, but offers no details

Honduras, which is among Taipei’s 15 remaining diplomatic allies, votes for a new president on November 28

Reading Time:1 minute

President Juan Orlando Hernandez of Honduras welcomes Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to Tegucigalpa in January 2017. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:49pm, 11 Nov 2021Updated: 6:49pm, 11 Nov 2021

Outgoing Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez will visit Taiwan, the island’s foreign ministry said on Thursday.

This comes as Taipei seeks to maintain relations with Honduras amid an escalating diplomatic tug of war with Beijing, which claims the self-ruled island as its territory with no right to state-to-state relations.

Honduras is one of just 15 countries that maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taipei.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that it welcomed Hernandez’s visit, which was first announced by the Central American country’s presidential palace. The ministry did not give further details.

It is not immediately clear when the visit will take place. Honduras is set to hold a presidential election on November 28 and its main opposition party has said it will establish diplomatic relations with Beijing if it wins.

Supporters of the presidential candidate for Honduras’ main left-wing opposition party at a campaign rally. Photo: AFP