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Belize City (AFP) – The President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, arrived in Belize this Sunday, the last leg of a Central American tour that also took her to Guatemala, where she promised to continue supporting her “diplomatic allies” to discourage them from linking to China.
The president’s plane landed in the afternoon at the Belize City International Airport, where she received military honors.
“President Tsai Ing-wen has arrived in Belize and right now she is going to have a meeting with the citizens of Taiwan who are here in Belize and tomorrow she is going to have an appointment with the Prime Minister of Belize, John Briceño. “, said a presenter of Belizean official television, which broadcast the welcoming ceremony.
Tsai and Briceño are expected to reaffirm their alliance on Monday, days after Honduras became the fifth Central American country to break with Taiwan and establish diplomatic ties with China.
After the break with Honduras, only 13 countries recognize Taiwan. Under the “One China” principle, Beijing does not allow any country to have diplomatic ties with them and the Taiwanese at the same time.
“We will continue to stand in solidarity”
In his last public activity in Guatemala, Tsai promised this Sunday that he will continue to provide assistance to his allies.
“Taiwan will continue to support the sustained and substantial development of its diplomatic allies, we will not stop continuing to collaborate with the world’s democratic partners,” Tsai said in a speech while visiting a hospital built with a donation from Taipei.
“From now on, Taiwan and Guatemala will continue to show solidarity with each other, deepening cooperation in all possible areas based on the objectives of steady, supportive and mutually beneficial diplomacy,” he added.
For his part, Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei promised in a speech that his country would maintain Taiwan’s diplomatic recognition, a week after Honduras broke ties with Taipei and formally established them with Beijing.
“I reaffirm before you my unconditional commitment that Guatemala, as an essential part of its foreign policy, will continue in favor of the recognition of the sovereignty of the Republic of China Taiwan,” he said.
Both presidents visited the new regional hospital in Chimaltenango, in western Guatemala, built with a Taiwanese donation of 22 million dollars.
non-refundable cooperation
According to the Guatemalan planning secretariat, Taiwanese non-reimbursable cooperation between 2013-2021 reached 90 million dollars, three million more than the assistance granted by the European Union.
In 2021, Taipei signed another agreement with Guatemala for 60 million non-reimbursable dollars for the next four years.
Tsai and Giammattei shook hands on Saturday in front of an ancient Mayan temple at the northern archaeological site of Tikal as a symbol of friendship.
The two presidents had a private meeting on Friday and then Giammattei said Tsai’s visit “is very significant in renewing and reaffirming full support for the Taiwan government.”
In addition, Giammattei insisted that his country recognizes Taiwan “as an independent nation and as the only true China.”
Tsai thanked Giammattei for his support last year as China was conducting military exercises near the island.
This Sunday he ratified that support by advocating “for the prompt end of the tensions generated by mainland China in the Taiwan Strait, which sow anxiety and take away happiness and peace from the citizens of the Republic of China Taiwan.”
Layover in the US
On her return trip to Taiwan, the president plans to meet in the state of California with the speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, prompting China to warn Washington that it is “playing with fire.”
The United States responded by saying there is no reason for China to “overreact.”
On her journey to Central America, the Taiwanese ruler made a stopover in New York. Although the United States recognized Beijing in 1979, it is Taipei’s main ally and its biggest arms supplier.
China regards the democratically and self-governing island as a rebel province that is part of its territory, which it hopes to one day recapture even without ruling out force.
Latin America has been a contested terrain since Taiwan and China parted ways in 1949, at the end of the Chinese civil war. The communists seized power in mainland China, while the nationalists retreated to Taiwan.
Honduras cut ties with Taiwan and recognized China last Sunday, following the steps taken by Nicaragua (2021), El Salvador (2018), Panama (2017) and Costa Rica (2007). Honduran President Xiomara Castro will soon visit Beijing.
