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Taiwanese vice-president heads for Honduras to shore up shaky alliance
- William Lai is attending swearing-in ceremony of presidential-elect Xiomara Castro, who has hinted she may switch to Beijing
- There is a possibility he will meet US Vice-President Kamala Harris who is also attending
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Taiwanese Vice-President William Lai left for Honduras on Tuesday to attend the swearing-in of its new leader and shore up the shaky relationship between Taipei and one of its few remaining diplomatic allies.
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Honduras is one of only 14 countries to maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taipei and president-elect Xiomara Castro has floated the idea of ditching the relationship for Beijing, which says Taiwan is Chinese territory with no right to state-to-state ties.
There is a chance Lai will meet US Vice-President Kamala Harris, who is also attending the swearing-in ceremony.
While Washington has no official diplomatic relations with Taipei, it is Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier, a frequent source of tensions between Washington and Beijing.
The US has also been worried about growing Chinese influence in its backyard. In the run-up to the November election, a US delegation visiting Honduras made clear it wanted the country to maintain its Taiwan ties.
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Lai, who is scheduled to meet Castro on Wednesday, said he would have “interactions and exchanges” with “leaders and deputy leaders” of allies and “friendly countries”, though he did not directly mention Harris.
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