By Xu Shicheng
At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Honduran President Xiomara Castro paid a state visit to China from June 9 to 14 with a number of Honduran Congress members and government officials, including Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina, Minister of Economic Development Fredis Cerrato, Vice-Minister of Economic Development Melvin Enrique Redondo, as well as a delegation of Honduran entrepreneurs representing various sectors such as telecommunications, energy, tobacco, coffee, and agriculture.
This visit has been widely acclaimed by media and people not only in China and Honduras but also in other Latin American countries and other parts of the world. It is widely considered a historic event.
Xu Shicheng is an authoritative expert on Latin America in China and a researcher at the Latin American Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
A historic visit
The heads of state of China and Honduras had a historic meeting in Beijing on June 12. During the meeting, Xi noted that Castro is the first Honduran president to pay a state visit to China, and her visit opens a new chapter in the annals of the China-Honduras relationship. Castro stated that Honduras firmly supports and abides by the one-China principle, as well as efforts from the Chinese government to realize national reunification.
On March 25, the Castro administration of Honduras announced its decision to sever so-called “diplomatic ties” with China’s Taiwan region. The following day, on March 26, Honduras established diplomatic ties with China, becoming the 182nd country to have diplomatic relations with China. On June 5, China opened its embassy in Honduras. On June 9, President Castro arrived in Shanghai, commencing her visit to China, which came less than three months after the two countries established diplomatic ties. On June 11, the Honduran Embassy in China was inaugurated, with the foreign ministers of both sides jointly unveiling the embassy plaque.
Over the past three months, China and Honduras have been proactive and practical to deliver on their diplomatic commitments. The bilateral relationship has got off to a good and speedy start and enjoys great dynamism and promise.
Canal 8, a Honduran TV channel, commented that the meeting between the leaders of China and Honduras has ushered in a new era for diplomatic relations and cooperation between the two countries, which “not only benefits the peoples of both sides but also has far-reaching implications for strengthening unity and cooperation among developing countries.” Sing Pao Daily News, a Hong Kong-based newspaper, remarked that the China-Honduras relationship “got off to a flying start”, bringing tangible benefits to the peoples of both nations.
A high-standard reception
Before arriving in Beijing, Castro visited Shanghai, where she was received by Chen Jining, the secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). In Shanghai, Castro and her delegation visited Huawei’s research center and the headquarters of the BRICS-led New Development Bank and met with the bank’s president, Dilma Rousseff. During the meeting, Castro formally requested to join the bank.
In Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, as well as Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, and Li Xi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), separately met with Castro.
Li Qiang said China greatly appreciates the firm commitment Honduras has made to abide by the one-China principle, and its choice to stand on the right side of history. "China is willing to work with Honduras to thoroughly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state to promote the vibrant development of cooperation in various fields."
Zhao Leji said that China's NPC is willing to carry out multi-level, multi-field and multi-form exchanges and cooperation with the Honduran Congress to learn from each other and better serve the development of their respective countries and benefit the two peoples.
It is fairly rare in Chinese diplomacy for Li Xi, as secretary of the CCDI, to receive a foreign head of state. During the meeting, Li Xi said that China is willing to strengthen the exchange of governance experience with Honduras, including in anti-corruption and other fields, strengthen international cooperation on anti-corruption, and push for new achievements in bilateral relations. Castro spoke highly of China's anti-corruption philosophy and achievements, and said Honduras is willing to learn from China's relevant experience.
The fact that four out of the seven members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee met President Castro indicates the high profile of the reception. This fully demonstrates China’s sincerity in developing friendly and cooperative relations with Honduras, and high appreciation and recognition of the actions, positions, and measures taken by the Honduran government led by Castro.
During their meeting, Xi congratulated Castro, the first female president of Honduras, on rallying her people on an independent path toward new achievements in national development, and expressed his readiness to work with the Honduran president from a strategic and long-term perspective to steer the bilateral relationship toward greater development and to turn the vision of cooperation into tangible results to the greater benefit of the two peoples.
A successful visit
Following a cordial meeting, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of numerous bilateral cooperation documents and memorandums of understanding in various fields, including political consultations, Belt and Road cooperation, infrastructure, quality inspection, trade, agriculture, technology, education, and media.
Honduras has become the 22nd Latin American country to sign a memorandum of understanding with China to promote the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The two countries also plan to initiate negotiations on a free trade agreement next month. The General Administration of Customs of China has already permitted the import of bananas, white shrimp, and unroasted coffee beans from Honduras.
According to Chinese customs statistics, bilateral trade between China and Honduras reached 3.893 billion RMB in the first quarter of this year, up 22.9 percent year-on-year. Specifically, China’s imports from Honduras surged by 206 percent year-on-year, making Honduras one of the top three countries in terms of import growth for China.
During her visit to China, Castro highly praised China’s efforts to comprehensively advance national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization, believing that China provides a new path and choice for humanity to achieve modernization. She hailed China’s vision for a community with a shared future for mankind, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Security Initiative, and expressed Honduras’s willingness to engage in them.
The establishment of China-Honduras diplomatic ties and Castro’s successful visit to China have unquestionably set a model for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that have not yet established diplomatic relations with China. It is also a significant blow to politicians from Western countries, such as the US, who attempt to obstruct the development of China-Latin America relations.
Castro’s visit once again fully demonstrates that upholding the one-China principle is in line with global justice. No force can stand in the way of the shared aspiration of the people and the general trend of the times. Engaging in separatist activities for “Taiwan independence” goes against the will and interests of the Chinese nation, and it is a retrogression leading to a dead end.
We sincerely hope that relevant countries in Latin America and the Caribbean can see the underlining trend, handle Taiwan-related issues with caution, and join in China-Latin America friendly cooperation at an early date.
The article was translated from Chinese to English by GDToday, and reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of GDToday.
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