Honduras: Honduran President Ms. Xiomara Castro’s administration has revealed that she will travel to China later this week as the Latin American country seeks to establish stronger ties with Beijing.

“At the invitation of President Mr. Xi Jinping, I will visit on a special mission with [Foreign Minister Mr. Enrique Reina] the People’s Republic of China between June 9 and 13. The refoundation of Honduras demands new political, scientific, technical, commercial, and cultural horizons,” Ms. Castro posted on Twitter.

The trip signifies China’s growing influence in Central America, where countries such as Honduras have sought to balance relations with the United States against their desire for heightened economic engagement with Beijing.

Ms. Castro’s visit also comes several months after Honduras established diplomatic ties with China, thereby ending its formal relationship with Taiwan.

China’s policy of not allowing countries to maintain official relations with both Taiwan and Beijing has led several Central American countries to shift their focus towards stronger ties with China due to its significant economic influence.

In 2007, Costa Rica established formal relations with Beijing, followed by Panama, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic in 2017. This shift has raised concerns in the United States, as Central America has historically been an area of influence for the US as the region’s dominant superpower.

The decision to sever ties with Taiwan reportedly came after Honduras requested a $2.5 billion loan to address its debt issues, which Taiwan declined. However, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Mr. Mao Ning, denied any pre-conditions or economic assistance being linked to the establishment of diplomatic relations with Honduras in March.

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