China, Honduras begin talks on free trade

ISTANBUL

China and Honduras began negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA), three months after the two countries established diplomatic relations in March, the Chines Commerce Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said the FTA negotiations, which began in Tegucigalpa, the capital city of the Central American country, on Monday, will be a "driving force to enhance the standards and extent of bilateral trade and foster greater cooperation in investments across diverse sectors."

“The initiation of negotiations for the China-Honduras Free Trade Agreement is beneficial for deepening pragmatic cooperation in the economic and trade sectors between the two countries. It will provide support for further enhancing the quality and level of bilateral trade, as well as strengthening investment and cooperation in various fields,” he said.

After establishing diplomatic ties, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted his Honduran counterpart Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento in Beijing last month.

The two sides signed around 17 bilateral documents to boost newly established bilateral ties.

In March, the Honduran Foreign Ministry said that it recognizes China as the "only legitimate government that represents all of China" and that Taiwan is an "inseparable" part of Chinese territory.

Last month, Beijing also opened its embassy in Honduras. Ahead of Castro's trip, around 21 Honduran journalists had arrived in China.