Source: Voice of Germany
Author: Li Yizhen
In the past week, Taiwan has appeared in the top three Twitter Search for Honduras, the country of diplomatic relations; the mainstream media of Honduras have also emerged about discussions on breaking diplomatic relations with Taiwan, changing the establishment of diplomatic relations with mainland China.At the inauguration ceremony of the new President of Brazil, the Foreign Minister of Honduras, Enrique Reina, held bilateral meetings with Xie Feng, deputy minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mainland China.
After the Rea meeting, I told the local media that for Honduras, it is essential to develop trade and investment relationships with Chinese enterprises.Continue to participate in investment construction.
As soon as the news came out, Honduras' domestic public opinion immediately boiled."They are now full of support for establishing diplomatic relations with China (Mainland), because this dam project requires a lot of funds." Said Guo Jiayou, chairman of the Taiwan Digital Foreign Association.The Digital Foreign Affairs Association is an organization that is marketing in Taiwan through community operations and has a deep understanding of overseas public opinion.
However, Fernando Ramos, a Honduras column writer who wrote an article for Taiwan media, observed that the focus of public opinion has shifted from the dam of the dam to "the entire (with Taiwan) diplomatic relations." He said: "At present, it can be divided into formationThe two -faction opinion, hoping to turn to the establishment of diplomatic relations with mainland China is mostly businessmen, while the mainstream media shows support for Taiwan. "
Huang Henan added: "Business people are mainly focusing on economic interests. They believe that China is one of the world's largest economies, and the establishment of diplomatic relations with China can open the vast market."
and local mainstream media have released many reports that oppose interruptions with Taiwan. One of the articles in the reference newspaper wrote: "Hongtai relations are the cornerstone of the country's long -term development."Guo Jiayou posted on his Facebook saying: "In 2022, we published 90 positive reports about Taiwan in Honduras, and these 90 news is becoming the material of Honduras' diplomatic opinion."
With the support of Taiwan's mainstream media, most Honduras people also stated that they should maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.Huang Henan observed, "They do not think that mainland China is an enemy, but their cognition is 'Taiwan is our friend'." He said that most of his relatives and politics friends pointed out that Taiwan has long been in Honduras for a long time.When it is difficult, it will help and provide a scholarship system to benefit the people.
However, some of the Chinese media reported the incident under the title of "Honduras may break through diplomatic relations with Taiwan".Costa Rica, who also belongs to Latin American countries, also shouted to Honduras a few days ago, asking Hong Guo to follow the road of other Central and South American countries to stop building diplomatic relations with Taiwan.In this regard, Guo Jiayou said: "This is not just a discussion within Honduras. Both Brazil and Costa Rica have joined the discussion."
Keep silent in the Hong State government
Taiwan and Honduras established diplomatic relations since 1941, and has reached nearly 82 years.During the period, the Latin American countries such as Nicaragua and Salvador successively broke diplomatic relations with Taiwan and changed to establish diplomatic relations with mainland China. Currently, Honduras is one of the eight -dip diplomatic relations in the region in the region.
Gong Guowei, the director of the Latin America and Caribbean Research Center of Tamkang University, said: "Honduras has always been a country that Taiwan Foreign Ministry is more concerned, because (relationship with Taiwan) is relatively loose and swaying." He said: "Honduras wantThe voice of breaking friends with Taiwan has always been very loud, because it is a left -handed government, which is closer to China (Mainland) in consciousness, but it is not bad with the United States, it is relatively alienated. "
At present, Honduras is facing a serious economic crisis and debt problems, and China's funds are urgently needed."In terms of clean energy, China is the world's largest exporter of solar energy, and they also invest in the development of new energy in many Latin American countries." Gong Guowei added.
However, for the diplomatic talks between Honduras and mainland China, the Presidential Palace of Hong Guo did not make a statement after the official news was released.Huang Henan said that even if public opinion has continued to have a fever, "the government has been silent since then", "I think they are observing the people's reactions and the direction of public opinion, and then decide how to formally speak."
Paraguay is also at stake?
Another diplomatic country in Latin America -Paraguay has also recently become the focus of discussion.On January 9th, Taiwan Cai Yingwen met with the visiting Paraguay House Speaker Carlos Maria Lopez, which made Paraguay's relations with Taiwan jump on the table again, becoming a hot topic of the country's presidential election in April this year.
EFRAIN ALegre, a Pankayan opposition presidential candidate, has been expressed in an interview with Reuters that once he is elected, it will terminate diplomatic relations with Taipei and establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.He said this will be able to promote the export business of the two major production products of Paraguay -soybeans and beef.
Professor of Chilean National Political and Strategic Research Institute, Xiang Jun told Jun that there are two development priorities worth paying attention to the possibility of breaking diplomatic relations with Paraguay.The first is the foreign strategy of mainland China. Recently, Wang Yi, the former foreign minister of Mainland China, took over Yang Jiezheng as the director of the mainland's central foreign affairs office.
The second is the co -market of the southern market composed of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay."At present, Uruguay wants to enter the Chinese market. If the other two member states join the pressure, Paraguay should be unstoppable." Xiang Jun analyzed that in October last year, Paraguay asked Taiwan to invest in its investment of US $ 1 billion (1.3 billion yuan newYuan) is also the pressure that has not been established with mainland China.
However, Gong Guowei, director of the Latin American Research Center of Tamkang University, is relatively optimistic.He believes that for Paraguay's political situation, "should still be the possibility of the ruling party's Red Party to continue governing, so it is not expected that the possibility of disconnection will occur."
But Gong Guowei also emphasized, "No matter who is elected, Paraguay's animal husbandry night and agriculture still want to open the Chinese (mainland) market, and the Chinese (mainland) use the open market as one of the exchange conditions for establishing diplomatic relations, soTaiwan must continue to pay attention to this problem. "
Taiwan -US relations become key
China's way of attracting the Latin American countries has long been based on investment, and invests in local agriculture, energy, infrastructure and ports.
Gong Guowei pointed out that the aid that Taiwan can provide in diplomacy is different from mainland China. Taiwan pays more attention to the "lower structure" and focusing on the society, such as assisting the poor and creating employment.Infrastructure, agriculture, renewable energy, etc.Each has its own advantages, but some of the national governments have more prefer large investment cases.
Facing the attraction of the huge funds in mainland China, Taiwan has begun to sway in the world's fewer diplomatic relations.Since the administration of the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan in 2016, Beijing has gradually increased its diplomatic targets in Taiwan. So far, eight countries have announced breaking diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
As the number of diplomatic relations decreases, Xiang Jun said: "This will make us more dependent on the United States because we need the United States to check and balance them."
Guo Jiayou also said that in the public opinion battle of Honduras, many focus is still on the relationship with the United States, because "Taiwan is the same as the United States".The State of diplomatic relations emphasizes and propaganda.
