(Tegucigalpa) Honduras announced on Saturday the severance of diplomatic relations with Taiwan, eleven days after indicating that it would establish official ties with Beijing.

Foreign Minister Enrique Reina, “on the instructions of the President of the Republic [Xiomara Castro], communicated to Taiwan the decision to sever diplomatic relations” between the two territories, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. .

With this shift, only 13 states still maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

The announcement comes two days after a visit to Beijing by Mr. Reina, supported by Ms. Castro, to discuss the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties.

In the name of its “one China” principle, Beijing does not allow foreign countries to maintain diplomatic relations with Taipei. However, the island has forged international partnerships through other channels.

On his Twitter account on March 14, Xiomara Castro announced that he had asked Enrique Reina to establish “official” relations with China.

“The government of the Republic of Honduras recognizes the existence of one China in the world, and that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing all of China,” the foreign ministry said. Honduran.

“Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory,” the ministry continued, adding that it pledged from Saturday to “no longer have any official relationship or contact with Taiwan.”