Vice President Lai Ching-te is set to travel to the Central American nation of Honduras next week to attend the inauguration of the country’s new president.
Honduras is one of 14 countries that formally recognize Taiwan.
Xiomara Castro is set to become Honduras’ first female president upon her inauguration on January 27. During the presidential campaign, she had pledged to cut ties with Taiwan and establish relations with Beijing if elected. However, her incoming administration has since backed away from this pledge, apparently to avoid straining Honduras’ ties with the United States.
Taiwan’s Presidential Office announced Wednesday that the vice president has been selected to attend Castro’s inauguration as the special envoy of President Tsai Ing-wen. Lai will head a 26-person delegation from Taiwan that is set to arrive in Honduras on January 27 and return on January 30. The delegation will make brief stops in the United States on its way to and from Honduras.
The Presidential Office says that President Tsai has given Lai three tasks to accomplish while leading the delegation: deepening Taiwan’s friendship with Honduras, deepening Taiwan’s cooperation with Honduras, and deepening Taiwan’s participation in the international community as a democracy.