Newly established Honduras diplomatic relations recognize one-China principle

The decision to establish diplomatic relations with China is a political resolution Honduras has made on the basis of the one-China principle, and there was no precondition for Honduras to make that decision, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday.

Honduras established diplomatic relations with China on Sunday, shortly after it announced it was severing its "diplomatic relations "with the Taiwan region.

Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen said in a recorded video that the region would not "engage in a meaningless contest of dollar diplomacy" with the Chinese mainland, according to The Associated Press.

Dismissing Tsai's comments, Mao said the establishment of diplomatic relations "is not a bargaining chip".

In recent years, countries such as Panama, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Nicaragua have established or resumed diplomatic relations with China, and none of them had attached any preconditions, Mao said at a news conference.

"Same as the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Honduras," she said.

China will, on the basis of the one-China principle, uphold the spirit of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and shared development, and actively promote mutually beneficial cooperation with Honduras to assist the Central American country's growth and improve local people's lives, the spokeswoman said.

In addition, "the Taiwan authority is an old hand at playing 'dollar diplomacy'," Mao said, warning the authority that both "Taiwan independence" and "dollar diplomacy "will lead to a dead end.

"Any attempt to go against the trend of history is doomed to fail," she said.

Speaking of Honduran students who are studying in Taiwan, Mao said China cares about these students, and stands ready to take in all those who are willing to study on the mainland.

"The Chinese mainland will be their warm new home," she said, adding that China hopes to expand people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in education with Honduras.

Also on Monday, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said Honduras has made "a right choice in line with the prevailing trend" to establish diplomatic relations with China.

"There is only one China in the world. Taiwan is part of China. The one-China principle is a prevailing consensus of the international community and a basic norm governing international relations," Ma said.