Why did Honduras break its relations with Taiwan.

 On Sunday Honduras break its 82 year old relations with Taiwan. The relations of both the nations goes back to 1941 when Republic of China's government, which remains Taiwan's official name, was still in

 China before it fled to the island in 1949 after losing the civil war with Mao Zedong communists. 

What is the reason behind this?

Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told a news conference Sunday that Taiwan had ended its relations with Honduras to "safeguard its sovereignty and dignity". Wu said that Honduras President Xiomara

 Castro and her team always had a "fantasy" about China and had raised the issue of switching ties before the presidential election in Honduras in 2021. Relations between Taiwan and Honduras were once stable, he said, but China had not stopped luring Honduras. "The foreign minister and embassy grasped the relevant information and handled it carefully. However, the Castro government also asked us for billions of dollars in huge economic assistance programmes provided by Taiwan and China". About two weeks ago, the Honduras government sought $2.45 billion from Taiwan to build a hospital and a dam, and to write off debts. "The Castro government dismissed our nation's longstanding assistance and relations and carried out talks to form diplomatic ties with China" he added. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said her government would not "engage in a meaningless contest of dollar diplomacy with China". For decades China has funneled billions of dollars into investment and infrastructure projects across Latin America. That investment has translated to rising power for China and a growing number of allies. In Honduras, it has come in the form of construction of a hydroelectric dam project in Central Honduras built by the Chinese Company SINOHYDRO with about $300 million in Chinese government financing. 

Implications for Taiwan

Honduras is the ninth diplomatic ally that Taipei has lost to Beijing since the pro-independence Tsai took office in May 2016. Now only 13 countries are left that recognize Taiwan which are mostly in

Exclude Honduras

Central America, the Caribbean and the Pacific. In 1998, Taiwan set up a $240 million aid fund for its Central American allies in hope of retaining their support. Taiwanese businesses were also encouraged to invest in Central America to consolidate political ties. Tsai is set to begin a 10 day trip on Wednesday with visits to Guatemala and Belize. Her delegation will stop in New York and Los Angeles, Li said alst week. Taiwan's Vice Foreign Minister Alexander Yui earlier said the purpose of Tsai's trip is to highlight the island's friendship with the two Latin American countries. Despite, China's campaign of isolation, Taiwan retains robust informal ties with more than 100 other countries, most importantly the United States. However, the United States doesn't have diplomatic relations with Taiwan but has maintained that Taipei is an important partner in the Indo-Pacific