The Foreign Ministry says values like freedom and democracy will prevail against the opposition and dollar diplomacy. That came from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jeff Liu (劉永健) on Tuesday, two days after Taiwan and Honduras severed diplomatic relations.
Liu says Taiwan and Honduras were allies for 82 years, and China’s dollar diplomacy caused the shift in relations. But he says freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights are part of a growing trend that will eventually overcome any opposition.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said it will welcome over Honduran scholarship students studying abroad in Taiwan. But Liu says China is an authoritarian state that suppresses free speech, which is not as conducive to studying as Taiwan’s liberal democracy.
Liu adds that President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) trip to Central America on Wednesday is not connected to cutting ties with Honduras. He says it’s Tsai’s right to visit other countries, and pressure from other nations will not crush Taiwan’s resolve.