CASTRIES, St. Lucia
St. Lucia's government said Wednesday that China has pledged more aid and technical assistance amid speculation that rival Taiwan is seeking to re-establish diplomatic ties with the small Caribbean island.
External Affairs Minister Rufus Bousquet said Beijing's new aid package was under review by St. Lucia's Cabinet, but he did not disclose any details. The proposal came shortly after Taiwanese officials based in St. Kitts and Nevis, one of the few Caribbean nations that still maintains relations with Taipei, met with St. Lucia Prime Minister John Compton.~~adz:Right~~
Compton has not made any public commitments to the Taiwanese delegation or disclosed details about their January meeting. The Taiwan Embassy in St. Kitts did not respond to calls for comment.
But in a speech last month, Compton, whose party maintained ties with Taiwan for 13 years until it was defeated by the Labor Party in 1996 elections, said St. Lucia "remains firm" in its relations with China.
China and Taiwan both engage in "dollar diplomacy," trying to win diplomatic alliances with other nations by offering aid packages and reconstruction projects. Taiwan has official ties with only about two dozen countries, mostly in Africa and Latin America.
Although democratic Taiwan is self-governing, communist Beijing insists the island that broke away amid civil war in 1949 is part of China.
The Chinese Embassy in St. Lucia issued a statement highlighting various aid projects, which include setting up a free trade zone and construction of a sports stadium.
