St Lucia, one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, reportedly is reviewing its relations with Taiwan before a decision is made on whether to continue diplomatic ties, suggesting that the replacement of the Taiwanese ambassador might not be sufficient to resolve the row that emerged when St Lucian Prime Minister Kenny Anthony regained power.
Anthony, leader of the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP), has reportedly said that his administration is awaiting a report from its Foreign Policy Review Committee to formulate a policy for its relations with Taiwan and China.
The committee is headed by former St Lucian Prime Minister Vaughn Lewis.
Local media in St Lucia on Friday quoted Anthony as saying that his administration “is looking at all its options” and “we will articulate a clearer position when we receive a report from the committee which the government set up and an appropriate announcement will be made in time.”
“As soon as the report is presented and the government has studied the report, a decision will be made,” he said. “But the government of St Lucia will not be forced into making any decision and we have always made our position very clear.”
The news came ahead of the planned departure this week from Taiwan of James Chang (章計平) to succeed Tom Chou (周台竹) as ambassador to the Caribbean country.
Chang was appointed to replace Chou early last month, in the wake of repeated requests from Anthony for Chou to be recalled, based on his allegation that Chou had interfered in the country’s internal politics in favor of the previous United Workers Party (UWP) administration in November’s general election.
Taiwan has experienced an on-and-off relationship with St Lucia following transitions of power in the nation. During Anthony’s first time as prime minister, he ended relations with Taiwan in 1997 after his party defeated the UWP. The previous UWP administration switched recognition back to Taiwan in 2006 after it regained office.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Steve Shia (夏季昌) declined to comment on the authenticity of the media report, but said the ministry is confident that relationships between the two countries are stable.
“We have gained information from our sources and we offer no comment on information reported by the media,” he said.
St Lucia has given Taipei its assurance that it would continue to maintain relations with Taiwan after Anthony assumed office, Shia added.
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
RSS