According to Reuters, the Honduran foreign minister is traveling to China to "promote" the establishment of diplomatic ties, signaling the end is most likely near for the country's decades-long relations with Taiwan.
Joseph Wu, Minister of Foreign Affairs: “I think the situation is not good. Honduras has asked us for a lot of money. We don't engage in money diplomacy like China. So we are now entering a very hard stage. ”
Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Wu reported to the Legislative Yuan on the 23rd and frankly admitted diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Honduras are indeed not good. It was rumored that Honduran President Xiomara Castro forwarded a US$6 billion aid proposal to China as soon as she took office. At the same time, she asked for more than US$2.4 billion in financial aid from Taiwan purportedly to build hospitals and dams. She has refused to negotiate and is obviously playing both sides. This is different from Honduran Foreign Minister's recent claims that Taiwan doesn't provide any financial aid.
Joseph Wu, Minister of Foreign Affairs: “The facts will come out regarding this. The traces of China's involvement are very obvious in this ordeal.”
Wu emphasized that he will work hard to the last moment. Foreign media pointed out that Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Reina has led a delegation to China for talks, and may choose to announce the establishment of diplomatic relations with China during President Tsai Ing-wen's trip to visit Taiwan's Central American allies Guatemala and Belize on the 29th. Wu said that the situation is well under control.
Johnny Chiang, Legislator (KMT): “If diplomatic relations are severed during the President's overseas trip, that would mean you and President Tsai will have to deal with this matter on the plane or abroad. ”
Joseph Wu, Minister of Foreign Affairs: “We have thought and prepared a lot of different strategies already to deal with this matter.”
Wu said the President will not travel to Honduras during this visit. This is the result of many factors, including Honduras' massive demand for money. It seems that the timing of the current situation is not a coincidence and may have been carefully prearranged.
外交部長吳釗燮指出：「我想情況並不是很好，對方有跟我們提出高價的索求，由於我們不跟中國進行金錢外交，所以現在進入非常辛苦的一個階段。」
坦言台宏邦交狀況確實不佳，外交部長吳釗燮23日到立法院進行報告，傳出宏都拉斯總統卡蕬楚一上任就向中國提出60億美元提案，同時用醫院、水壩等名義對台灣索求超過24億美元金援，但又推辭協商，顯然大玩兩面兜售手法，與宏國外長近期對外宣稱台灣沒有援助的說法不同。
外交部長吳釗燮提及：「關於這一方面事實終於會釐清的，宏國的狀況中國介入痕跡非常明顯。」
吳釗燮強調會努力的最後一刻，不過外媒指出宏都拉斯外長雷依納已率領國會議員等特使團前往中國商談，可能選在總統蔡英文29日出訪時宣布與中國建交，吳釗燮表示狀況都有掌握。
國民黨立委江啟臣指出：「如果在出訪過程裡面被斷交，那會涉及到你蔡總統在飛機上，還是在國外，要處理這件事情。」
外交部長吳釗燮回應：「我們有很多的沙盤推演。」
吳釗燮表示總統此次出訪沒有前往宏都拉斯，眾多因素就包含宏國高價索求，現在的狀況看起來時間點並非巧合，可能是經過精心的安排。