Officials from Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, Haiti and Saint Lucia, attended the China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Forum in Beijing on Tuesday, raising questions about diplomatic alliances.
According to Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry, the Haitian Foreign Minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste participated as a representative of the CELAC, and Peter Lansiquot, as a representative of the Saint Lucia Labour Party, not in an official capacity.
The ministry responded to media enquiries stating that both the Haitian and Saint Lucian governments had notified Taiwan’s embassies in advance regarding the nature of their participation. The ministry says that the China-CELAC Forum is a routine multilateral meeting that CELAC holds with China, the EU, India, and the African Union.
During the forum, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) reiterated the one-China principle. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry condemned the remarks, calling them a repetition of old rhetoric and reaffirmed that the Republic of China, Taiwan, is a sovereign and independent nation, and that Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other. It added that Taiwan maintains strong, stable relations with both Haiti and Saint Lucia.