Taiwan says it may regain recognition from St Lucia
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| Published on Friday, April 27, 2007 |
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By James Peng and Allen T. Cheng
TAIPEI, Taiwan (Bloomberg): Taiwan may regain statehood recognition from St Lucia, boosting the island's diplomatic partners to 25, foreign ministry spokesman David Wang said.
"The foreign minister of St Lucia has expressed willingness to forge formal ties with Taiwan, and the two sides will work out details," Wang said in a phone interview today in Taipei. "We feel very positive about the development."
Taiwan broke ties with St Lucia in 1997 when the Caribbean nation switched recognition to China, Wang said. "If we resume ties with St Lucia, we as usual can provide assistance on economic development and some low-cost loans," he said.
China and Taiwan have been administered separately since 1949 after a civil war, when the defeated Kuomintang party fled to the island. Beijing's "one China" rule prevents countries from formally recognising both governments.
China is "observing the situation in St Lucia," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a regular briefing on Thursday in Beijing.
"Everyone knows Taiwan is an inseparable part of China," Liu said. "China and St Lucia signed agreements as part of the normalisation process and St Lucia agreed to the 'one China' principle. Taiwan authorities are trying to push for separatism and we can't tolerate that."
Taiwan broke diplomatic relations with Chad, only hours before a planned trip by Premier Su Tseng-chang in August, after the central African country decided to switch official ties to China. Su canceled his trip and stopped aid to Chad.
Chad was the seventh country to break formal ties with Taiwan since President Chen Shui-bian took office in May 2000, after Macedonia, Liberia, Dominica, Vanuatu, Grenada and Senegal.
Taiwan now has diplomatic relations with 24 countries, mostly small Latin American, African and Pacific nations attracted in part by pledges of aid or investment. | | | | Reads : 129 | | | |
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