China and Honduras Celebrate One Year of Robust Diplomacy and Trade Growth

An event celebrating the first anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Honduras was held at the Chinese embassy in Tegucigalpa on Sunday, marking a year of significant progress and collaboration between the two nations.

Over 400 attendees, including key officials from both sides, gathered to honor the advancements in bilateral ties and to discuss future prospects for the China-Honduras relationship.

Since formally establishing diplomatic relations one year ago, China and Honduras have achieved tangible results across various sectors. Chinese Ambassador Yu Bo expressed optimism, stating, “We are moving forward on a path that leads to great political confidence and increased cooperation for mutual benefits.”

The total trade volume between the two countries surged by 21 percent in 2023, reaching $1.91 billion. Notably, Honduras' exports to China nearly tripled, boosted by the Chinese General Administration of Customs' approval of multiple vital product imports, including fresh bananas, coffee beans, and aquatic products.

Honduran Minister of Economic Development Fredis Cerrato highlighted the strong partnership, saying, “Chinese can be deep partners in the development of Honduras… In a year, we have made much progress.” He added, “We are still in the honeymoon phase.”

The celebration event saw the signing of several key documents, including a cooperation agreement allocating $275 million of Chinese funding to build schools across Honduras. Additionally, cooperation is advancing in areas such as investment, technology, infrastructure, and media, according to Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina.

A new round of negotiations on the China-Honduras Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was recently held in Beijing. Since July 2023, the two countries have engaged in four rounds of FTA negotiations, achieving positive progress and paving the way for an early harvest arrangement.

Eduardo Enrique Reina expressed confidence in the future of Sino-Honduran relations, emphasizing support for each other in multilateral cooperative development initiatives.

Reference(s):

One year of China, Honduras diplomatic ties: More results, big growth

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