GUATEMALA CITY, 07 December 2021, (TON): Guatemala’s president called his country a U.S. ally that backs Taiwan over China, emphasizing his government’s alignment with U.S. policy at a time of uncertainty over how the incoming Honduran government will handle China relations.

In a speech in Washington, President Alejandro Giammattei also appeared to take a jab at recent U.S. criticisms of his government around corruption and transparency.

Giammattei said in comments at the Heritage Foundation, an association of think tanks “we consider ourselves an ally and friend (of the United States), although some officials in this government don’t understand this in its true dimension.”

“I’ll mention a couple of things that prove it: First, diplomatic relations with Taiwan, not China. We’re the last ones left in the region.”

Many countries in Central America and the Caribbean have ditched Taiwan for China in recent years, including El Salvador, Panama and the Dominican Republic, going against U.S. policy of backing Taiwan, which China sees as a renegade province.

Aides for the incoming president of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, have said “she will not establish ties with China, backtracking from Castro’s earlier comments that she was open to starting formal relations with China.”