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Taiwan resumes diplomatic ties with St Lucia (Roundup)
Apr 25, 2007, 16:39 GMT
Taipei - Taiwan on Wednesday resumed diplomatic ties with St Lucia, scoring a small victory in its diplomatic war with China.
While campaigning for his bid to join the 2008 presidential election, Premier Su Tseng-chang told a mass rally in Chungli City that St Lucia became Taiwan's ally on Wednesday.
'I have good news to tell you: that is St Lucia will become our 25th diplomatic ally tonight,' he said.
But a Foreign Ministry official told reporters that although St Lucia has expressed the wish to launch full diplomatic ties with Taiwan, 'we haven't reached the final step yet.'
St Lucia, a Caribbean island state with a population of 168,000, opened diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1984 but cut them in order to recognize China in 1979.
Taiwan has been seeking to restore diplomatic ties with St Lucia since the return to power of the Caribbean nation's opposition leader John Compton in December 2006.
Compton, 82 is leader of the United Workers' Party and is the so- called father of St Lucia's independence from Britain in 1979.
He led St Lucia for 29 years, between 1964 and 1979 and again from 1982 to 1996. Under his rule, St Lucia opened diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but cut them in order to recognize China in 1979, when Kenny Anthony became prime minister.
Taiwan and China's diplomatic manoeuvres over St Lucia intensified in recent months, causing China to pledge more aid, including offering to help build an industrial zone and a sports stadium, in a bid to match Taiwan's offer of aid.
If St Lucia resumes ties with Taiwan, it will be the 25th country to recognize Taiwan, formally known as the Republic of China.
Some 170 countries recognize China, or the People's Republic of China, and see Taiwan as its breakaway province.
Taiwan has been suffering from international isolation since it lost its United Nations seat to China in 1971. Since then, it has been trying to resume ties with foreign countries and rejoin the UN and other international organizations.
But the fight for recognition has been strenuous because China says Taiwan, as a Chinese province, has no right to launch formal ties with foreign countries or join world organizations whose membership is open only to sovereign states.
On Wednesday, the World Health Organization rejected Taiwan's application to become member, a request made by President Chen Shui- bian in a letter to WHO Director-General Margaret Chan.
'WHO's legal consultants, after studying UN resolutions and the WHO Charter, believe that Taiwan is not a sovereign state and is not eligible to apply for WHO membership. We have notified Taipei of this stance,' the Central News Agency quoted WHO spokeswoman Christine McNab as saying.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Carla-Rae BriggsApr 30th, 2007 - 20:01:28
John Compton of St. Lucia ought to be applauded for his decision to recognise Taiwan and to re-establish ties.
Taiwan, despite her isolation from the United Nations, which she helped to form, offers cooperation and assistance to less fortunate, developing countries all over the world.
Because Red (Communist) China is huge and considered a world power, it has the advantage when small countries are in need, like Grenada was after the passage of Hurricane Ivan in September of 2004.
But we must ask ourselves, does Red China care about the people of these countries? And if we study the history of these countries we will find that China really does not.
Taiwan is a small island - she understands the plight of the small developing islands in the Caribbean, in the Pacific, in Africa, etc. Taiwan has grown from a little country that depended on agriculture to a successful country which has diversified and has been able to help her people over the years.
Taiwan, despite the fact that she gets no aid from the UN, has been able to give readily to poorer countries in times of disaster and need.
Compton is thinking of the people of St. Lucia and should be an example to others, including Grenada.
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