The Chinese and Honduran governments signed an agreement to grant the Central American country non-refundable funds equivalent to 6.8bn lempiras (US$276mn) to refurbish education infrastructure, local media reported. 

According to Forbes Centroamérica, the cooperation agreement was signed on Friday by Honduran foreign minister Eduardo Enrique Reina and Beijing’s ambassador in the country, Yu Bo. 

“In a year of [diplomatic] relations with the Asian giant there have been investments in people, in children, in education, and the largest investment is in Honduran social infrastructure,” Reina was quoted as saying. 

The agreement states that the Chinese government will initially transfer 2.4bn lempiras and the rest at a later stage. 

“Education infrastructure is one of the most important projects of President Xiomara Castro and the signing of this agreement is an important event putting into practice the consensus between the leaders of our two countries and to accompany the modernization of Honduras,” said Yu Bo, according to the report. 

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in March last year after Honduras cut ties with Taiwan after 82 years.