TEGUCIGALPA, Aug 14, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Honduran President Xiomara Castro met Tuesday with China's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Hua Chunying to strengthen bilateral relations and negotiate a new trade agreement, Castro's government said.

Enrique Reina, the foreign minister of Honduras, told reporters that Hua "visited the country to advance several items."

As part of ongoing trade negotiations, Reina said that an "early harvest" agreement will take effect on September 1, through which China will allow shrimp, coffee, melons and other Honduran products to enter the country without charging tariffs.

Once finalized, the new trade agreement will increase trade by eight times, Reina said, compared with the rate before Honduras established diplomatic ties with China in 2023.

In March of that year, Honduras announced it was severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan, ending a position it had held for more than 70 years. Honduras established ties with China soon after.

Castro visited Beijing in June to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping to further secure the new diplomatic relationship.

Twelve countries continue to maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, with seven of them located in Latin America or the Caribbean.