Last month, Honduras demanded nearly US$2.5 billion in assistance from Taiwan. Before Taiwan could reply, President Xiomara Castro of Honduras announced that he intended to establish diplomatic relations with China, which he severed with my country at the end of March. Taiwan currently has 13 countries with diplomatic relations. One of them, the Guatemala delegation, arrived in Taiwan on the 24th. Guatemala’s top economic and trade officials told Reuters in an interview that Guatemala would not ask Taiwan to send money, nor would it ask Taiwan to send money. It will not be in debt like Honduras, but will seek long-term investment and trade with Taiwan.

President Tsai Ing-wen visited Guatemala earlier this month. Guatemalan President Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei Falla visited Taiwan at the invitation of Tsai Ing-wen at that time. Guatemalan Economy Minister Rosales ( Janio Moacyr Rosales Alegría told Reuters at an investment briefing in Taipei that his country has no debt problems with Taiwan but does want to have a more balanced trade relationship because Guatemala currently runs a trade deficit with Taiwan.

Rosales emphasized: “We hope to have a more balanced trade, so we are attracting more Taiwanese companies to invest in Guatemala and expand the cooperation between the two countries. The two sides have always maintained a very good alliance relationship.” As for the Chinese authorities criticizing Jia Maitai The visit to Taiwan was abetment, Rosales said: “We heard about it on the news, but we are now focused on the solutions our country needs.”

Asked whether Guatemala, like Honduras, is asking Taiwan for billions of dollars in aid, Guatemala Central Bank President Alvaro González Ricci replied: “No.” : “I think we can ask for (things) from Taiwan, but not for free money. For example, they might be able to invest in some bonds in Guatemala, looking for projects that can last for 25, 30 years, and Don’t just donate money to short-term specific projects.”