Taipei: Taiwan's government has not received an invitation to participate in the inauguration ceremony of Honduras' president-elect Nasry Asfura, even though, according to reports, President Lai Ching-te had indicated a desire to attend.
According to Focus Taiwan, Asfura pledged during the presidential campaign to restore ties with Taipei after taking office, raising hopes that Taiwan might have a presence at his inauguration scheduled to be held on Jan. 27. However, Lu Chao-jui, deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MOFA) Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, stated that Taiwan has not received an invitation because it does not have official diplomatic ties with Honduras.
Lu did not confirm whether Taiwan had requested an invitation from the incoming Asfura administration. The MOFA official's remarks came in response to inquiries about whether the ministry has been in discussions with Asfura's team concerning the restoration of bilateral ties and the possibility of participating in his inauguration later this month.
A Wall Street Journal report on Jan. 13 cited unnamed sources as saying that Lai had expressed a desire to attend Asfura's inauguration. The report suggested that Lai was considering a trip to Honduras, with Beijing reportedly observing whether the United States would permit him to transit. The Presidential Office later described the report as "pure speculation," adding that any official overseas travel by Taiwan's leaders would be announced publicly at an appropriate time.
Honduras' National Electoral Council declared Asfura the winner on Dec. 24 in his second bid for the presidency. According to the council's final data, Asfura secured 40.3 percent of the vote in a tight race against Salvador Nasralla of the center-right Liberal Party, who garnered 39.5 percent. Rixi Moncada of the ruling Libre party finished a distant third.
During the campaign, both Asfura and Nasralla pledged to restore diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Ties were severed in 2023 by sitting President Xiomara Castro in favor of the People's Republic of China, ending an 82-year alliance.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Lu reiterated the government's stance on potentially restoring ties with Honduras. MOFA maintains "an open attitude" and would "set no preconditions" to engaging in friendly exchanges with Honduras, he said. "We take every opportunity for exchanges seriously as long as doing so can expand Taiwan's international status and could help Taiwan better contribute to the international community," Lu stated during a regular MOFA briefing.