ISTANBUL

Two months after Honduras broke ties with Taiwan, China’s President Xi Jinping on Monday hosted counterpart Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento from the Central American nation for first bilateral talks in Beijing.

Xi held a grand ceremony to welcome Castro who began her six-day state visit to China last week. The two sides signed around 17 bilateral documents to boost newly established bilateral ties.

“China is ready to develop friendly relations with Honduras, support Honduras’ economic and social development, and be a good friend and partner of Honduras with mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, and common development, bringing more tangible results to the greater benefit of the two peoples,” Xi told Castro during the meeting.

Hua Chunying, China’s assistant foreign minister, said the two leaders jointly witnessed the signing of 17 bilateral cooperation documents in areas including Belt and Road construction, economy, trade, quality inspection, agriculture, science and technology, and culture and education.

Castro, 63, arrived in China on Friday, the first such visit since the Central American nation cut ties with Taiwan and established full diplomatic relations with Beijing in March.

She began her trip from Shanghai, visiting BRICS’ New Development Bank (NDB) where she held talks with the bank President Dilma Rousseff.

Earlier, the Central American nation, home to over 10 million people, had diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which China considers its "breakaway province."

In March, the Honduran Foreign Ministry said that it recognized China as the "only legitimate government that represents all of China" and that Taiwan is an "inseparable" part of Chinese territory.

Beijing opened its embassy in Honduras last week. Ahead of Castro's trip, around 21 journalists from Honduras reached China on Thursday.

Taiwan is left with only 13 diplomatic allies after Honduras cut ties with Taipei.

The island nation of around 24 million people has insisted on its independence since 1949.