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
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique