By Ivan Cairo
Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent
Email: ivan@caribbeannetnews.com
PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Suriname has rejected a formal request from Taiwan to enter into diplomatic relations, a government official here has confirmed.
Foreign Affairs minister Lygia Kraag-Keteldijk told ‘de Ware Tijd’ newspaper that she received a request from the Taiwanese government, which was subsequently turned down.
The government in Taipei has offered millions of US dollars in financial and technical assistance in return for Suriname’s recognition of its sovereignty.
“I don’t lose myself in what Taiwan has to offer. A formal choice has already been made and that is the One-China policy,” the minister was quoted Monday by the newspaper.
Although, on several occasions, other government officials, including the Speaker of the House, Paul Somohardjo, and President Ronald Venetiaan, have reiterated Suriname’s position on this issue, not all parties in the coalition hold the same opinion.
Coalition party DA’91 is supporting the government’s position, but not to the detriment of the country’s development, top party officials disclosed.
Minister of Planning and Development Cooperation Rick van Ravenswaay (DA’91) argued that if Taiwan has more to offer that could assist Suriname in its development “we have to discuss this rationally”.
His party is giving priority to the country’s development. “We should not act like parrots shouting ‘One-China policy’, but we should also take into account what we get in return,” said the minister.
Since the Suriname-Taiwan Friendship Foundation recently started with a media campaign to foster goodwill between the peoples of Suriname and Taiwan, the Chinese community in Suriname launched a counteraction last week, calling on the government to adhere to the ‘One-China policy’ as it has pledged.
In response to the media campaign, 13 Chinese associations established an umbrella federation to support the government.
According to businessman Max Man A Hing, focal point for the new federation, the Chinese community is looking forward to a political response to the recent Taiwanese movement.
“I do hope that we keep our act together and don’t build castles in the air with the media advertisement of Taiwan,” said Man A Hing. | 
