Honduran opposition whip Jorge Cálix visits Taiwan seeking new cooperation
Taiwan is quietly rebuilding ties with Honduras nearly three years after Tegucigalpa cut relations and switched recognition to Beijing — a small but real diplomatic win for Taipei.
- Jorge Cálix, the opposition Liberal Party's whip in Honduras' congress, met Taiwan's foreign minister in Taipei and called Taiwan a model of democracy and economic growth.
- Both sides talked up room to work together again, pointing to past joint efforts in schools, healthcare, infrastructure, and job training.
- Taiwan is pitching its "prosperous partners" plan, which pairs education and industry to help friendly countries move up the value chain — the Taiwan-Paraguay tech university is the showcase.
- Honduras sits next door to the North American market, making it attractive for Taiwanese manufacturers looking for a production base.
- Taipei is leaning hard on parliament-to-parliament diplomacy, noting that more than 60% of Panama's lawmakers just formed a pro-Taiwan caucus.
Outlook: Expect Taiwan to keep courting opposition lawmakers in Latin America, with any real thaw in Honduras hinging on who wins power there next.