The deputy for the (Free) Liberty and Refoundation Party added that by establishing an official relationship with China, Honduras could go from a market of 40 million to one of 1.5 billion for its exports.

He explained that this is about getting closer to China and that the talks on the subject could last from six months to five years or more, according to a report on national television.

Barrios expressed that he does not believe that relations with the United States will be affected, since Washington has always maintained relations with China and never with Taiwan.

The congressman made such statements after the announcement by President Xiomara Castro on Twitter giving instructions to the Honduran foreign minister to approach China.

“I have instructed Foreign Minister Eduardo Reina to manage the opening of official relations with the People’s Republic of China, as a sign of my determination to comply with the Government Plan and expand the borders freely in concert with the nations of the world,” President Castro wrote.

However, some analysts believe that the Executive’s initiative could strain relations with the United States and Taiwan.

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