Above: Liberty Square inTaipei (Taiwan Tourism)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
St Lucia Foreign Minister Alva Baptiste departed Friday for a visit to Taiwan.
The trip is a “fact-finding journey,” according to Taiwan Ambassador to St Lucia James CP Chang.
Baptiste’s visit, which will include meetings with President Ma Ying-jeou and Foreign Minister David YL Lin, will conclude on March 30. He will also meet with Taiwan’s Minister of Transportation, Economic Affairs and the CEO of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, among others.
The trip is the result of an invitation by Taiwan’s government.
During St Lucia’s most recent election campaign in 2011, current St Lucia Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony had said his government could might consider severing ties with Taiwan in favour of a return to relations with China if elected.
Following his victory — and a committee established to review that idea — Anthony announced St Lucia would retain its ties with Taiwan. https://www.caribjournal.com2012/09/12/st-lucia-to-maintain-ties-with-taiwan/
In a release, St Lucia’s government said the trip was an effort to “continue strengthening the relationship” between the two sides.