Guatemala to maintain Taiwan ties despite seeking greater China trade

Record ID: 1765628

  • Title: Guatemala to maintain Taiwan ties despite seeking greater China trade
  • Date: 9th February 2024
  • Summary: GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA (FEBRUARY 8, 2024) (REUTERS) (MUTE) DRONE SHOT OF SQUARE NEAR NATIONAL PALACE GUATEMALA FLAG WAVING NATIONAL PALACE BUILDING VARIOUS OF GUATEMALA PRESIDENT BERNARDO AREVALO AT INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) GUATEMALA PRESIDENT, BERNARDO AREVALO, SAYING: "Diplomatic relations are with Taiwan and with the People's Republic of China there are trade
  • Embargoed: 23rd February 2024 01:23
  • Keywords: Bernardo Arevalo China Guatemala Taiwan economy government politics trade
  • Location: GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA
  • City: GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA
  • Country: Guatemala
  • Topics: South America / Central America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001912109022024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Guatemala has no intention of breaking diplomatic relations with Taiwan despite seeking closer economic links with China, President Bernardo Arevalo said on Thursday (February 8), pledging to boost ties with both players in parallel.
    Guatemala is one of only a handful of nations that still maintains formal ties with Taiwan. Next-door Honduras last year switched allegiances to China, which claims Taiwan as its own, after seeking almost $2.5 billion in aid from Beijing.
    Arevalo assumed office in mid-January vowing to end corruption and establish relations with China, raising the possibility that those ties might come at the expense of historic diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Such an outcome looked closer this week when Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martinez told Reuters Guatemala was considering reaching out to China to develop formal trade ties, prompting the opposition to seek clarification on Guatemala's foreign policy plans. Publicly reaffirming the country's Taiwan ties for the first time since taking office, Arevalo said his administration will not change course.
    Arevalo, an academic and former diplomat, has promised to tackle the root causes of migration, especially rampant poverty that has fueled a huge exodus of Guatemalans to the U.S. mostly through illegal routes. In 2022, about 233,000 Guatemalans arrived at U.S. borders.
    (Production: Josue Decavele, Manuel Carrillo, Gloria Lopez)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register