Honduras switches diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China.

Honduras has established diplomatic ties with China after breaking off relations with Taiwan, which is now recognized by only 13 sovereign states. The move is seen as a diplomatic victory for China and signals growing Chinese influence in Latin America. China and Taiwan have been locked in a battle for diplomatic recognition since they split amid civil war in 1949. Honduras had asked Taiwan for billions of dollars of aid and compared its proposals with China’s, but Taiwan refused to engage in a "meaningless contest of dollar diplomacy with China." Analysts have warned over the implications of the newly formed ties between China and Honduras.