Editor's note: CGTN's First Voice provides instant commentary on breaking stories. The column clarifies emerging issues and better defines the news agenda, offering a Chinese perspective on the latest global events. This First Voice article is written by CGTN Special Commentator Haroldo Martinez, the chief editor of iDocumenta.com and a Guatemalan communicator who has worked for 40 years as a correspondent and collaborator for international and foreign network news and channels in Latin America and around the world. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei visited China's Taiwan region this weekend despite Beijing's opposition to this journey that went against all odds since the world has recognized one-China principle, accepted by the UN long time ago. In Guatemala, we know that there will be more opportunities for our country if we establish relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC).

First, the Chinese mainland is a huge market to Guatemala, so it is better to develop a good relationship with a country that has lifted over 800 million people out of poverty including nearly 100 million people out of extreme poverty.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has benefited Costa Rica and recently El Salvador – since their countries deepened their links with China – and a month ago, Honduras decided to jump into the future, leaving aside relations with the Taiwan region, and recognized the PRC as the only legitimate government in the country. This strategic decision will take Hondurans, our brother and neighbor country in Central America, to another level of development and cooperation. 

In Guatemala, it is impossible to prevent the global strong support to one-China principle and recognize that the PRC is the only sovereign state under the name China. In that way, sooner or later, Guatemala will join the rest of the world and develop our country in a better way.

Guatemala retains its "diplomatic relationship" with the Taiwan region under threats and pressures from the United States that has influenced Guatemalan foreign policy since 1954, when Washington intervened and removed Guatemala's elected president, Jacobo Arbenz, on the premise that he was soft on communism. This policy is now pushing President Giammattei in the corner, with U.S. labelling a series of corruption allegations against the Guatemalan leader.

The U.S.' blackmail policy against previous Guatemalan governments is similar to the one it pursues now against the current government. The former President Alfonso Portillo (2000-2004) was sentenced to five years, 10 months in prison for taking $2.5 million in bribes from Taiwan in exchange for continuing to maintain "diplomatic relations" with the island. 

Against this background, the U.S. laid the foundations for a new form of blackmail against Guatemalan politicians who dare to approach China. But the Guatemalan people know that our trade with the Chinese mainland is much more important than with the Chinese region of Taiwan, since almost everything is made in China, and we, Guatemalans, consume them daily with satisfaction due to their quality and competitive price.

Guatemala has been ruled by the right political wing almost forever, and they have sided with the U.S. But the Guatemalan government and its people should reconsider their foreign policy. Guatemala needs to find its own independent way of development, rather than rely on unsustainable foreign aid or succumb to U.S. hegemony.

The country's general elections are scheduled for June this year. Many of the candidates have the thought of recognizing the PRC as the legal government in China. If one of these candidates wins the presidency, the chances of establishing diplomatic relations with Beijing are higher than ever; not only due to their ideological leanings, but their geopolitical positions of showing greater independence from the traditional North American hegemony, which has affected the region for decades and from which Honduras has recently freed itself by establishing ties with the PRC.

Guatemala will inevitably do the same in the near, or even immediate future, if our next government chooses prosperity, which current international allies have not provided, and decides to partner with China, a world power that has helped our neighbors in Central America become independent from the prior domination of other countries and will also let Guatemalans chose their way in the new world order. 

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