US says condemns political use of vaccines after China-Taiwan tussle

WASHINGTON - The United States stands with Honduras and condemns the "cynical use" of COVID-19 vaccines for political purposes, the State Department said, after Taiwan blasted China for seeking to use vaccines to make diplomatic inroads with one of Taipei's allies.

Honduras, among a small number of Latin American countries to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan, has said it was considering opening an office in China in a bid to acquire much needed COVID-19 shots, prompting Taipei to criticize Beijing for pushing a vaccine-for-recognition deal. Several Latin American nations are receiving Chinese vaccines, but countries such as Honduras and Guatemala that have built ties with democratic Taiwan - which Beijing considers a breakaway province - are not.