TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Guatemala presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo said Wednesday (July 26) he would not end diplomatic relations with Taiwan to recognize China if he wins next month’s election.

In an interview last month, the contender said he wanted to seek better relations with Beijing, especially to promote trade. The comment was seen as a hint that he would follow the example of neighboring Honduras, which recognized China last March, leaving Taiwan with 13 official diplomatic allies.

However, speaking during a video conference organized by the Atlantic Council, Arevalo said he had no intention of changing the status of relations, the Liberty Times reported. Continuing ties to Taiwan and seeking to improve trade relations with China were “completely compatible," the candidate said.

He added there had already been conversations between his camp and the government of Taiwan to discuss how to “harness” the ally’s cooperation for his development plans.

Arevalo’s opponent in the Aug. 20 election, Sandra Torres, was invited to talk at the Atlantic Council Thursday (July 27). Arevalo, the son of Guatemala’s first democratically elected president, made the fight against corruption and authoritarianism the centerpiece of his campaign. Torres was the wife of another former president, and also ran in the 2015 and 2019 elections.