The presidents of Honduras and the People's Republic of China met in Beijing on Monday to discuss the beginning of a free trade agreement between the two nations.

Honduran President Xiomara Castro's six-day state visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping comes as concern grows in the United States over a suspected Chinese spy base being built in nearby Cuba.

"You have resolutely fulfilled your election promise of establishing diplomatic relations with China, made a historic decision, and demonstrated your firm political will," Xi said to Castro in Beijing.

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Honduras and China established formal relations in March of this year, and the Honduran government is hoping the new relationship will open avenues to relieve their burdensome debt obligations and expand exports to the mainland Asian country.

China, meanwhile, will benefit from Honduras' policy shift away from neighboring Taiwan – a self-governing island the mainland asserts rightfully belongs to the communist state.

Beijing claims self-ruled, democratic Taiwan is part of its territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary, and refuses most contacts with countries that maintain formal ties with Taiwan. 

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Honduras cut ties with Taiwan in the months leading up to their new diplomatic relationship with China.

"One China principle is the primary premise and political foundation for the establishment of loyal diplomatic relations and the development of bilateral relations," Xi said.

Taiwan is now recognized by only 13 countries, including Vatican City. 

HONDURAS SEEKS DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH CHINA, SWITCHING ALLEGIANCE FROM TAIWAN

Administration officials confirmed on Sunday that China is working to ramp up its spying capabilities in Cuba. China has maintained a spy base on the island, which is 90 miles off of South Florida, since at least 2019, officials have said. 

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"This is an ongoing issue, and not a new development, and the arrangement as characterized in the reporting does not comport with our understanding," an administration official told Fox News on Saturday.

The Wall Street Journal first reported Thursday that China and Cuba have reached a secret agreement for China to establish an electronic eavesdropping facility on the island, allowing Chinese intelligence services to "scoop up electronic communications throughout the southeastern U.S., where many military bases are located, and monitor U.S. ship traffic." 

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The Biden administration initially said the report was "not accurate" before confirming the news. 

Fox News' Adam Shaw, Tara Prindiville and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report. 

A man was arrested on suspicion of murder in the English city of Nottingham Tuesday after three people were found dead and three others were hit and injured by a van in related early-morning incidents, police said.

"This is an horrific and tragic incident which has claimed the lives of three people," said Nottinghamshire Police Chief Constable Kate Meynell.

She said two people were found dead in one street just after 4 a.m. and a third on a different street. The three wounded by the van were at a different location and were being treated in a hospital. There was no immediate word on their condition.

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Witness Lynn Haggitt told reporters that a white van pulled up beside her at 5:30 a.m. and she saw the driver look in his mirror and spot a police car approaching slowly from behind without its lights on. The van then drove into a man and woman at a street corner.

"He went straight into them, he didn’t even bother to turn, just went back straight into them," Haggitt said. "The lady ended up on the curb, and then he backed up the white van and he went, speeded up Parliament Street with the police cars following him."

She said the man appeared to have a head injury but was helped to his feet. The woman was sitting on the curb and appeared to be OK.

Police gave no immediate indication of a possible motive. The investigation was being led by local police, not counterterrorism officers.

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"We believe these three incidents are all linked and we have a man in custody," Meynell said. "This investigation is at its early stages and a team of detectives is working to establish exactly what has happened."

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called it a shocking incident and asked that police be given time to investigate the crime.

"My thoughts are with those injured, and the family and loved ones of those who have lost their lives," Sunak said.

Images on social media showed police, some with rifles, standing near cordons at several locations in the city center.

The city’s tram network said it had suspended all services.

Nottingham is a city of about 350,000 some 120 miles north of London.