St. Lucia's government said on Wednesday that China has pledged more aid and technical assistance amid speculation that 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 Caribbean nations that maintains relations with Taipei, met with St. Lucian Prime Minister John Compton.
Compton has not made any public commitments to the delegation from Taiwan or disclosed details about their meeting in January. The Republic of China 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.
Taipei and Beijing have regularly accused each other of using money to lure the other's allies with "checkbook diplomacy."
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.
In Taipei, Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (
Wielding its enormous economic clout, China "has splashed a lot of money in Africa to lure away our allies and to expand its influence there," Huang said. "The rise of China has indeed posed a great threat to us."
Seven nations, including three African nations, have switched re-cognition to China since May 2000.
While Taiwan has felt the squeeze from China's diplomatic pressure, it could not possibly compete with Beijing's deep pockets, Huang said.
The foreign ministry's annual budget of around US$900 million was dwarfed by China's mammoth pledges to its African allies, he said.
Chinese President Hu Jintao's (
"Some said China has been engaged in `neo-colonialism' in Africa, while others have described it as `neo-mercantilism,'" Huang said.
In contrast, "Taiwan has not conducted and will not conduct hegemonic diplomacy or diplomacy aimed at plundering the resources of other countries. Therefore, although Taiwan has few diplomatic allies in Africa, they all feel comfortable in maintaining friendship with Taiwan," he said.
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