BEIJING, June 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — China and Honduras have given a swift and solid start to their diplomatic relations since they were officially established two months ago.
Beijing and Tegucigalpa welcomed a historic moment on Monday, as Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Honduran President Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento, following the opening of their embassies in each other’s capital during the past week.
Noting that Castro is the first Honduran president to make a state visit to China, Xi regarded his visit as of particular significance as it opens a new chapter in the history of China-Honduras relations.
“China will remain committed to developing friendly relations with Honduras, firmly support the economic and social development in Honduras, and build good friendship and partnership with Honduras based on mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and common development.”
Xi expressed his readiness to work with the Honduran President from a strategic and long-term perspective to drive bilateral relations towards greater development and translate the vision of cooperation into tangible results for the greater benefit of the two peoples.
One-China principle
Honduras announced that it has severed so-called “diplomatic relations” with China’s Taiwan region, the Central American country signed a joint communiqué with China on March 26, becoming the 182nd country to establish diplomatic ties with China Gaya-China theory.
By doing so, Castro, the first woman president of Honduras, who was elected in November 2021 and inaugurated in January 2022, has fulfilled one of her campaign promises.
During Monday’s talks, Xi praised the “historic” decision he took and the “unrelenting” political will shown in establishing diplomatic ties with China, saying the contribution would “go down in history.”
He said that the one-China principle is the primary foundation and political basis for the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Honduras and the development of bilateral relations.
Castro said the Honduran side firmly supports and adheres to the One-China principle, and supports the Chinese government’s efforts to achieve national reunification.
According to a joint statement issued on Monday, China and Honduras agreed to promote cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and the Honduran side supported China’s three initiatives – the Global Development Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. expressed support for It has proposed solutions to the challenges facing the world and the era.
‘Great promise’ in collaboration
Following their talks, Xi and Castro jointly signed 17 bilateral cooperation documents in areas such as BRI construction, economy, trade, quality inspection, agriculture, science and technology, culture and education.
The two sides also agreed to start negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement at the earliest. Since March, China has cleared the import of certain Honduran products such as coffee, shrimp, melons and bananas.
In the first four months of 2023, China’s imports and exports from Honduras reached about 3.89 billion yuan ($540 million), a year-on-year increase of 22.9 percent, and in particular, imports increased by 229.5 percent , Customs from China data showed.
Xi told Castro during their meeting, “Bilateral relations are off to a good and brisk start and enjoy great dynamism and promise.”
Castro said that considering the rapid progress of cooperation between the two countries in the past two months, Honduras is confident about the future.
At the opening ceremony of Honduras’ embassy in Beijing on Sunday, Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina said the establishment of diplomatic relations with China opened a new era in Honduras’ relations with the world and gave Honduras a chance to become “great and prosperous”. Gave. ” Country.
“With China, we open new windows of opportunity for Honduran trade and commerce, and with them, for Honduran economic development,” Riina told CGTN in a recent interview.
Castro is on a six-day state visit to China which will continue till Wednesday. She reached Shanghai on Friday. Honduras will participate in the China International Import Expo to be held in Shanghai later this year and send young students to the city to study, she said in Shanghai.
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-06-12/Xi-holds-talks-with-Honduran-president-1kzOFov1ej6/index.html
Decision
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SOURCE CGTN
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