Taiwan is to open a representative office in Guyana, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday, establishing a presence in the South American nation that is to focus on economic ties, before eventually offering commercial and consular services.
On Jan. 11, an agreement was inked with the Guyanese Department of Foreign Trade to establish a “Taiwan office,” with the possibility that Guyana would open a reciprocal office in Taiwan, the ministry said in a statement.
The South American nation is rich in minerals and oil, while its capital, Georgetown, houses the secretariat headquarters of the Caribbean Community cooperative bloc, the ministry said.
Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei Times
Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) told a morning news conference that the “Taiwan office” name was agreed upon by both sides.
It is to be the second foreign office that uses “Taiwan” in its title, following the establishment of the Taiwan Representative Office in Somaliland last year, Ou said.
Neither country has formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
A small team has been sent to Georgetown to conduct initial preparations, such as finding a location, after which an official representative would be appointed, Ou said, adding that plans are still being discussed and would be announced once they are finalized.
The office would have the same status as other representative offices Taipei has established, with the same capacity as missions in the EU, the UK, Israel and other nations with which Taiwan lacks official diplomatic ties, she said.
Although Georgetown has yet to issue a formal statement, Guyanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd on Wednesday confirmed the agreement, while denying there was any change to Guyana’s “one China” policy.
“Guyana is not establishing diplomatic relations with Taipei,” Todd told local reporters, adding that the office would merely facilitate private trade and investment.
The Web site of the Chinese embassy in Guyana said that Chinese Ambassador to Guyana Cui Jianchun (崔建春) issued a farewell address on Jan. 19, hailing the nation’s longstanding adherence to the “one China” principle, although Beijing has yet to announce his removal or appoint a successor.
Taiwan signed the deal with the knowledge that Georgetown has its own China policy, a person with knowledge of the matter said.
However, Taipei hopes there would be space to develop equal relations, the person said.
Taipei has “opened the door wide” for Guyana to establish a reciprocal office, but, given the COVID-19 pandemic, would welcome an announcement by Georgetown whenever the time is right, the source said.
While the details are still being negotiated, there would be “reciprocal and equal treatment,” they said.
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) applauded the deal.
“All countries should be free to pursue closer ties and greater cooperation with Taiwan, a leading democracy, a major economy and a force for good in the world,” the AIT said in a statement.
The US “remains committed to supporting Taiwan as it expands its international partnerships and works to address global challenges, including COVID-19,” it said. “We will stand with friends and allies to advance our shared prosperity, security and values around the world.”
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) questioned the necessity of an office in a nation with which Taiwan has few interactions, accusing the government of establishing the office “just to add one more” to the list.
The government should be prudent with the nation’s limited resources, the KMT’s International Affairs Division said.
The ministry was criticized last year after it set up the Somaliland office, a place whose sovereignty is not recognized by UN members, the KMT said.
Since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office, seven nations have severed diplomatic ties with Taipei and the nation remains shut out of most international organizations, the KMT said, calling on Taiwanese to press the administration to take practical action, not act on principle alone.
Taiwan has diplomatic relations with 15 countries, including nine in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Additional reporting by CNA
The domestically designed Teng Yun 2 drone passed development milestones over the weekend, flying for more than 10 hours straight and circling Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), in the longest flight of an indigenous uncrewed combat aerial vehicle. Developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, the Teng Yun 2, or “Cloud Rider” (騰雲二型), recorded its longest flight yet over the weekend, after a three-hour test flight last month, followed by five and seven-hour stretches in the air. The Teng Yun 2 No. 1812 departed from Chiashan Air Base in Hualien County at 6:46pm on Saturday and flew on a
OVER THE HUMP: In a seven-day period ending on Wednesday, the nation reported 366,628 new cases, down 19 percent from the 451,358 reported in the previous week The nation might further open up to more arrivals in the next two months, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday, as it reported 48,283 new local COVID-19 cases, down from more than 50,000 in the previous few days. Taiwan on Wednesday last week introduced a plan to allow up to 25,000 arrivals per week as part of efforts to gradually reopen borders, which includes reducing mandatory quarantines for inbound travelers from seven to three days, followed by four days in “self-initiated epidemic prevention.” The quota covers inbound Taiwanese arrivals, businesspeople and migrant workers. Former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) yesterday said
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday said it is monitoring Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy ship movements near Taiwan, after the Japanese Ministry of Defense disclosed that Chinese vessels made a rare voyage between Yilan County and Japan’s Yonaguni. The Japanese ministry on Wednesday said that two Chinese navy ships on Tuesday diverted from their usual route of entering the Pacific Ocean via the Miyako Strait and for the first time traveled there between Yilan and Yonaguni. The Japan Self-Defense Forces said that it picked up the presence of China’s Type-056A Jiangdao-class corvette 220km north of Yonaguni at 9am on Tuesday. The
A slew of new measures are to take effect on Friday, including nationwide bring-your-own-cup discounts. The new rule requires chain beverage shops to offer discounts of at least NT$5 (US$0.17) to customers who bring their own cups, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said. The policy would apply to more than 50,000 chain retail locations, including beverage shops, convenience stores, fast-food restaurants and supermarkets. It aims to cut down on waste from single-use plastic cups, more than 2.2 billion of which were used in Taiwan in 2020, the agency said. For convenience, the EPA said it has asked retailers to display signs stating how