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China’s Xi says willing to begin free trade talks with Honduras

https://www.reuters.com/world/chinas-xi-says-will-firmly-support-honduran-development-2023-06-12/

Excerpt:

China is willing to begin talks on a free trade agreement with Honduras “as soon as possible”, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday, during the first visit by the Central American country’s president since forming diplomatic ties in March.

Honduras’ President Xiomara Castro is on a six-day official visit to China. She launched diplomatic relations with Beijing after cutting ties with Taiwan. The country is also seeking support from China to mitigate its debt burden.

“You have resolutely fulfilled your election promise of establishing diplomatic relations with China, made a historic decision, and demonstrated your firm political will,” Xi told Castro during talks in Beijing.

China will actively promote Honduran products to enter the Chinese market, Xi was quoted as saying by state broadcaster CCTV.

Chinese customs said on Monday it had approved the import of Whiteleg shrimp from Honduras.

China also encourages Chinese enterprises to participate in Honduras’ projects in areas including energy, infrastructure and telecommunications, CCTV cited a joint declaration as saying.

The Honduran side is willing to provide policy support and facilitation, CCTV reported.

The Chinese leader also emphasised that both sides should deepen political mutual trust, and uphold the “One-China” principle.

When Honduras ended its decades-long relationship with Taiwan, the island’s foreign minister accused it of demanding exorbitant sums before being lured away by Beijing.

China claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taipei strongly rejects. China demands that countries with which it has ties recognise its position.

The Honduran foreign ministry said at the time it recognised the People’s Republic of China as the only legitimate government that represents all of China and that Taiwan was an “inseparable part of Chinese territory”.
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Leftist Honduran president Xiomara Castro has sealed many deals with China that will help turn her country into a Chinese colony, including a debt-relief package and the establishment of Chinese enterprises in Honduras.

Iranian president on way to Cuba to forge military and energy deals after visits to Venezuela and Nicaragua

https://www.newarab.com/news/irans-raisi-visit-cuba-nicaragua-and-venezuela

https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-s-raisi-to-visit-cuba-nicaragua-venezuela-/7127595.html

Excerpt:

ranian President Ebrahim Raisi will conclude military and energy agreements during his visit to Havana, where he will arrive on Wednesday from Venezuela and Nicaragua, his other two stops on his first visit to Latin America.

“As far as Venezuela is concerned, it is the oil area. In this sector, Iran has acted and we have verified in Venezuela that the industry has been able to rise thanks to cooperation. In the defense area, Iran has in-depth knowledge in this area Similarly, in Cuba and Nicaragua similar issues related to oil and defense will be discussed,” international analyst Basem Tajeldine told the official Russian website Sputnik.

“Our common position with these three countries is opposition to the hegemonic and unilateral system,” Raisi said before leaving for Caracas.

In the Venezuelan capital, and during his meeting with Nicolás Maduro, he was more explicit and assured that both countries have “an enemy in common”, alluding to the United States.

According to Tajeldine, a former adviser to the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, this tour takes place in a context of “accelerated decline of US hegemony.”

“There is a multipolar world that is more evident every day, it is even accepted,” he said, so the Iranian president’s trip will “upset” the US. “Surely he will feel very angry with the presence of a leader like Raisi, who comes to address a very sensitive issue for our countries. But he has already done everything and has failed,” he assured.