U.S. envoy to visit Honduras amid China-Taiwan tensions.

Chris Dodd, the US special presidential adviser for the Americas, will visit Panama and Honduras this month, days after Honduras announced it would establish formal diplomatic ties with China. The US has been concerned about Chinese efforts to expand its influence in the region. Dodd will meet Honduran officials and private-sector representatives, officials and finance leaders in Panama, as well as attend an annual conference of the Inter-American Development Bank. While the US has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier.