Vice Foreign Minister Yang Tzu-po stated at a press conference in Taipei that the governments of Taiwan and Saint Lucia, wishing to strengthen the friendship based on equality and reciprocity, had decided to resume full diplomatic relations.
On behalf of the two governments, James Huang, ROC minister of foreign affairs, and Rufus Bousquet, Saint Lucia's minister for external affairs, international financial services, information and broadcasting, signed a joint communique on the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in Castries, the Saint Lucian capital, April 30, Yang said, adding that Taiwan established its embassy in Saint Lucia that same afternoon.
Speaking by telephone to the press conference, Huang said the re-establishment of diplomatic relations proved Taiwan's name was respected in the international community, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported May 1.
Huang related that Saint Lucia had passed a resolution to resume diplomatic relations with Taiwan at a Cabinet meeting April 26, at which the Caribbean nation also authorized its external affairs minister to coordinate with Taiwan on signing a joint communique. Huang led a delegation to Saint Lucia April 29 after receiving an invitation from Bousquet, he added.
At no point during the consultation process did Taiwan ask Saint Lucia to sever its ties with China, Huang said. "Taiwan has no intention of engaging in zero-sum games with China on the diplomatic front," he explained, adding that Taiwan hoped for a win-win-win situation for Taiwan, Saint Lucia and China.
In a statement released May 1, MOFA indicated that restoring diplomatic ties between the two countries had received the full support of Saint Lucian Prime Minister John George Melvin Compton, as well as of all members of the country's Cabinet. Saint Lucia first established diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1984 under Compton's earlier premiership.
Write to Edwin Hsiao at edwinhsiao@mail.gio.gov.tw