Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Ditching Taiwan: Honduras, long a key ally of Taiwan, severed bilateral relations this week and instead established diplomatic ties with China. Honduran Deputy Foreign Minister Antonio García said Taiwan’s diplomats— who work at the second-largest embassy in the country, after the U.S. Embassy—had just 30 days to “pack up and leave.” The decision to switch loyalties from Taipei to Beijing is expected to unlock billions of dollars in Chinese investment, a godsend for Honduras’ low-paid workers. “China has a lot to offer in terms of energy, education, infrastructure, trade, and other areas,” García said. China won’t extend relations to countries that recognize Taiwan, which it sees as a renegade province, and Taiwan is now recognized by just 13, mostly tiny, countries.