Chinese tug of war over Grenada
by Leroy Noel
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
ST GEORGE‘S, Grenada: The Peoples Republic
of China and Taiwan are reportedly in a tug of war over diplomatic relations
with the tiny island of Grenada. For the past several years Taiwan has had
diplomatic relations with Grenada, pumping millions of dollars into the
national economy. However, several
politicians in Grenada have recently criticized Taiwan, who they claim was
giving money to the Mitchell government too freely. It has been claimed that
Taiwan was responsible for paying the salary of Jamaican legal adviser Hugh
Wildman, who has lost a barrage of cases on behalf of the state. A ruling
handed down by the British Privy Council severely criticized Wildman, who has
nevertheless continued on the state payroll.
There have also been claims of money placed into accounts for community
projects that were not properly accounted for.
Many who initially supported Taiwan have become disenchanted because of the
way it dealt with the Mitchell administration, which was seen as more in
support of Mitchell than the people of Grenada.
But with the passage of Hurricane Ivan, the Mitchell government seems to want
to take a bite at both Chinese cherries. The government has begun talks with
Chinese officials in Trinidad with a view of getting aid from both sides. Such
a move did not go unchallenged by the Taiwanese officials in Grenada, who have
voiced their displeasure to various senior members of the Mitchell
administration. Now caught in the act, the
Prime Minister, unable to deny that his government was holding talks with
representatives from China, chose to say to reporters that he preferred not to
talk about the issue for the moment.
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