TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An opposition candidate in Honduras’ November presidential election says he wants to restore diplomatic relations with Taiwan, reports said Tuesday.

The Central American country ended more than 80 years of official ties with Taiwan in March 2023, when President Xiomara Castro shifted recognition to China. Castro is not eligible to seek a second term in the Nov. 30 election.

Nasry Asfura, a former mayor of Tegucigalpa, told Bloomberg he intends to review agreements the Castro administration signed with China. Honduras was “100 times better off” when it was allied with Taiwan, benefiting from more trade and aid, he said.

Asfura also proposed forging a partnership with the United States, Taiwan, and Israel to revitalize Honduras’ economy. The country was once a leading shrimp exporter to Taiwan, but the sector has struggled since demand from China failed to materialize.

In the election, Asfura will face Defense Minister Rixi Moncada of the ruling leftist party and Salvador Nasralla, a centrist former vice president. Asfura is running as the candidate of the conservative National Party.