customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

summary

updatedDate

knowledgeQuestion

disableOffPlatformContent

published

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Hayley Wong

Honduran President Xiomara Castro has arrived in Shanghai on her first trip to mainland China since the Central American nation established diplomatic ties with Beijing in March.
Castro was met at the airport on Friday by Hua Yuan, Shanghai’s deputy mayor, and assistant foreign minister Hua Chunying, and welcomed by the Old Jazz Band performing a Honduran song at the Peace Hotel, where she is staying.
Castro is expected to spend two days in the financial hub before heading to Beijing where she will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping.


Honduras switched diplomatic allegiance to Beijing after severing ties with Taipei, leaving the self-ruled island – which Beijing sees as part of its territory – with just 13 allies.
In Shanghai, the Honduran president was expected to meet the city’s party secretary, Chen Jining, on Friday evening.
She will also visit the New Development Bank established by the BRICS emerging economies and meet Dilma Rousseff, the former Brazilian president who now chairs the bank, according to an agenda posted by her entourage on Twitter.
Castro is expected to visit the research and development centre of Huawei Technologies, which has been operating in Honduras since 2008. The Chinese telecoms giant also hosted a group of Honduran journalists this week, according to state broadcaster CGTN.
Castro’s state visit is likely to boost economic ties between the two nations, paving the way for Honduras to pursue a free-trade agreement with the world’s second-largest economy, which ranks after the United States in trade volume with Latin America.
Announcing the trip in a tweet on Tuesday, Castro said she hoped to build “political, scientific, technical, commercial and cultural” ties with Beijing.
Honduras had been part of a free-trade agreement with El Salvador and Taiwan, but that ended in May after El Salvador cut diplomatic ties with Taipei in 2018.
Honduras has also expressed hope for China to help lighten its debt burden – its general government gross debt has stood at about half of its GDP in the past two years, according to data from the International Monetary Fund.


Castro’s trip comes after China opened an embassy in the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa on Monday.
At an event inaugurating the new embassy, its charge d’affaires Yu Bo said the approval process for Honduras to export prawns, melons, coffee and other products to China was progressing.
“I am convinced that with the joint efforts of both sides, the people of both countries will soon be able to enjoy the first visible and tangible results of the cooperation,” Yu told state broadcaster CCTV.


China eyes medical tourism boost, but still a long way to go amid regional competition

China’s economic coercion evokes greater scrutiny and resentment, senior US officials say

Tech war: China buys US$12 billion worth of chip-making equipment in second quarter

Less talk, more results will improve China-US relations, international relations expert says

Taiwan

Honduran leader Xiomara Castro starts first China trip after establishing diplomatic ties

Honduran President Xiomara Castro arrives in Shanghai on Friday on a visit that is expected to boost economic ties between the two nations. Photo: Xinhua

Honduras President Xiomara Castro headed to China in first trip after ties established

Honduras President Xiomara Castro delivers a speech in Tegucigalpa in April. Photo: Reuters

Chinese Foreign Ministry Counsellor Yu Bo and Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina unveil a plaque at the inauguration of the embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on Monday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Taiwan question is ‘biggest risk’ to US-China relations, must be brought ‘under control’, Beijing’s top envoy to US says

China’s ambassador to the US Xie Feng told American business leaders that “no one wants peaceful reunification more than China does”. Photo: China’s US embassy

Why Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen may not attend Apec summit in US after all

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen makes a transit stop in New York in March. Photo: AP

Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan’s de facto representative in Washington. Photo: Hsiao Bi-khim Twitter

News

China

Diplomacy

President will spend two days in Shanghai before travelling to Beijing for talks with Xi Jinping
Central American nation switched diplomatic allegiance to Beijing in March after cutting ties with Taipei


President will spend two days in Shanghai before travelling to Beijing for talks with Xi Jinping.


Honduran leader Xiomara Castro starts first China trip after establishing diplomatic ties

President will spend two days in Shanghai before travelling to Beijing for talks with Xi Jinping Central American nation switched diplomatic allegiance to Beijing in March after cutting ties with Taipei

President will spend two days in Shanghai before travelling to Beijing for talks with Xi Jinping

Central American nation switched diplomatic allegiance to Beijing in March after cutting ties with Taipei