VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Honduran foreign minister is travelling to China to "promote" the establishment of diplomatic ties, an official said, signalling the end is most likely near for the country's decades-long relations with Taiwan.

At stake is China's growing footprint in Central America, once a steadfast base for Taiwan and where the United States is worried about Beijing's expanding influence in its backyard.

Honduran President Xiomara Castro tweeted last week her government would seek to open relations with China.

"Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina on instructions from President Xiomara Castro travelled to China on Wednesday to promote efforts for the establishment of diplomatic relations," presidential press secretary Ivis Alvarado said.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Beijing welcomed the Honduran government's positive attitude towards building relations, and was willing to develop them "on the basis of equality and mutual respect".

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said it had summoned in the Honduran ambassador to express its "strong dissatisfaction" at the trip which "seriously harmed the feelings of our government and people".

A source with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters Reina and his delegation left for Beijing from Panama, accompanied by Chinese officials. The source declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation.

A senior Taipei-based diplomatic source told Reuters that Reina going to China meant an announcement on forging relations was probably near.

"The die is cast," the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

The move will leave Taiwan with diplomatic relations with only 13 countries.

Honduras denied on Wednesday it had demanded $2.5 billion in aid from Taiwan before its announcement to seek to open relations with China, instead saying the country had repeatedly asked Taiwan to buy Honduran public debt. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry's Wang called remarks about Honduras making the demand prior to its China announcement "absolutely preposterous and groundless".

Speaking on Thursday to reporters at parliament, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said the situation with Honduras was "not very good".

"The other side demanded a high price," he added, though he did not directly confirm the $2.5 billion number, saying only that "the facts will out".

China, which views Taiwan as its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, has involved itself in the issue, Wu said, without giving details.

"The marks of Chinese involvement are very obvious," he said.

But Taiwan will not engage in dollar diplomacy with China, Wu added.

The Honduras crisis erupted ahead of next week's visit by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to Guatemala and Belize, which remain allies.

Tsai is stopping in New York on the way there and Los Angeles on the way back, where she is expected to meet U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Wu, asked to confirm that meeting, said it was still being arranged.

"Beijing originally planned to act in the second half of the year, but because of President Tsai's visit, it brought its plans forward," said the source with direct knowledge of the situation, referring to getting Honduras to switch sides.

Reina said last week Honduras' decision was partly because the Central American country was "up to its neck" in financial challenges and debt - including $600 million it owes Taiwan.

He said on Wednesday his country had repeatedly requested Taiwan to buy Honduran public debt and that the $2.5 billion figure was "not a donation," but rather "a negotiated refinancing mechanism".

Wu, answering a lawmaker's question, said Honduras' demands were beyond what Taiwan could do and that it was not just Taiwan who was owed money.

"We have said to them previously the debt they owe us can be readjusted," Wu said. (Reuters)

Jakarta (voinews): Deputy for Coordination of International Economic Cooperation of the Coordinating Economic Affairs Ministry, Edi Prio Pambudi, assessed that the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) cooperation should be strengthened to generate broader benefits for each country.

"IMT-GT cooperation needs to take into account risks and opportunities from global dynamics and megatrends to realize the IMT-GT Vision 2036," Pambudi who led the Indonesian delegation at the IMT-GT Strategic Planning Meeting said in a statement here, Thursday.

During the meeting, delegates from IMT-GT member countries discussed eight areas of cooperation, including agriculture, tourism, halal products, digital transformation, trade and investment, environment, connectivity, and human resource development.

In addition, the development of cooperation between academics and business actors was discussed.

Furthermore, a series of priority agendas for 2023 include the 15th IMT-GT Summit that will take place on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in May, the 30th anniversary of the IMT-GT, and the 2023-2025 IMT-GT Visit Year.

"The age of 30 is the ideal age for the IMT-GT cooperation to reflect and play an active role in the current and future multidimensional crisis," Pambudi affirmed.

Pambudi drew attention to several important issues to be considered in the future, including boosting connectivity to facilitate the flow of goods, people, and capital.

In addition, the adoption of digital technology, including for the development of MSMEs, accelerating energy transition, and increasing the benefits of IMT-GT strategic commodities in trade, are perceived as being of concern.

In particular, Pambudi also conveyed directions related to food security, sustainability of the agricultural sector, increasing various stakeholders in reopening tourist attractions, and digitizing sub-regions.

Closing the meeting, several senior officials also gave directions to each working group regarding ongoing projects and proposed new projects. (Antaranews)

Jakarta (voinews): Myanmar can emerge from conflict if Russia stops supplying weapons to the military junta, Counselor of the US Department of State Derek Chollet said on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters in Jakarta, Chollet stressed that "Russia should not get a pass on this" since it is Myanmar's most reliable friend right now in the international community, and Moscow is providing support to fuel the regime’s war machine, undermining ASEAN’s plan to cease violence and conduct national dialogue.

"If we want to see a solution to the conflict inside Myanmar and want to see Myanmar return to peace and return to democracy, one way that can happen is if the junta is no longer able to import arms, and we would make a very large step in that direction if Russia were to stop supplying arms to the junta," he added.

Chollet said the US will find ways to make it harder for Myanmar to acquire those weapons by imposing further sanctions against entities inside Myanmar.

So far, the United States has imposed sanctions against 80 individuals and 30 entities inside Myanmar, he informed.

According to him, additional sanctions and measures are necessary to make it more difficult for Myanmar’s junta to generate revenue to buy weapons and fuel the war.

In addition to sanctions, Chollet said that the US has also taken steps to support ASEAN and intensify pressure on the military regime in Myanmar to stop the violence, release those detained unjustly, and allow unhindered humanitarian access into the country.

Since the military coup more than two years ago, the military regime in Myanmar has unleashed widespread violence not seen in this part of the world in decades. Nearly half of the nation’s population is currently living in poverty and 17.6 million people need humanitarian assistance, according to the US Department of State.

Myanmar plans to stage elections this year, but the US believes that “without the participation of many of the country's key stakeholders, it is a recipe for prolonging the violence and instability.”  (Antaranews)

Jakarta (voinews): The United States will continue to impose further sanctions against Myanmar’s junta, Counselor of the US Department of State Derek Chollet said on Wednesday.

Additional sanctions and measures are necessary to make it more difficult for Myanmar’s junta to generate revenue to buy weapons, he added.

“We're committed to continuing to ratchet up the pressure on the junta and make it harder for them to generate revenue, which is fueling its war machine,” he told reporters in Jakarta.

The US has thus far enacted targeted sanctions against 80 individuals and 32 entities inside Myanmar. It will continue to do so until it changes course, he added.

Chollet said that Washington also remains committed to working with its allies and partners in ASEAN and beyond to try and address the multifaceted challenge coming from the crisis in Myanmar, due to “which, unfortunately, Myanmar is on the path to becoming a failed state in the heart of Southeast Asia.”

He informed that, during his visit to Jakarta, he met with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to discuss ways to continue to work together to help build the capacity of the pro-democratic opposition in Myanmar.

The US strongly supports ASEAN's decision to downgrade the political representation of Myanmar at summits and at foreign minister-level meetings, he added.

"The regime needs to fully understand that as long as it continues to prosecute such a brutal campaign against their own people, they will suffer the consequences for that. And that will include further isolation in the international community," he said.

At a summit in Jakarta in April 2021, nine ASEAN leaders and Myanmar junta chief, Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, had agreed to a five-point consensus on responding to the crisis in Myanmar.

The consensus called for an immediate end to violence in the country; dialogue among all parties; the appointment of a special envoy; humanitarian assistance from ASEAN; and the special envoy’s visit to Myanmar to meet with all parties.

However, two years after the military coup against the elected government of Myanmar, there has been no progress on part of the junta in implementing the peace plan initiated by ASEAN. (Antaranews)