FACTBOX-Taiwan's diplomatic allies

Taiwan faces losing another diplomatic ally after Honduran President Xiomara Castro said on Tuesday she had instructed the country's foreign minister to bring about the opening of official relations with China.

Taiwan faces losing another diplomatic ally after Honduran President Xiomara Castro said on Tuesday she had instructed the country's foreign minister to bring about the opening of official relations with China. China views democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taiwan's government strongly disputes.

Over the years, China has slowly whittled away at the number of countries which maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. If Honduras does end relations with Taiwan, it will leave the island with only 13 diplomatic allies.

Here is a list of the states that still maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan: LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN

Belize Guatemala

Honduras Paraguay

Haiti Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

PACIFIC Marshall Islands

Nauru Palau

Tuvalu AFRICA

Eswatini EUROPE

Vatican City (Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Himani Sarkar)