Less than a day after it was disclosed by the US embassy here, the setting up of a Taiwanese trade office in Guyana was scrapped yesterday amid a blast from the Chinese Government, raising questions about decision-making at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and whether Cabinet had been aware of the plan.
Engagement with Taiwan – considered by the Chinese to be a renegade province – has been a no-no for Georgetown over the last 48 years since its historic establishment of ties with Beijing and commitment to a `One China Policy’. Nearly five decades of carefully calibrated relations came under threat of unravelling on Wednesday when Washington hailed the establishment of the office and this was confirmed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugh Todd.
With Beijing apparently caught unawares by the move and seasoned foreign policy experts here in shock at the development, it appeared only a matter of time before pressure was brought on Georgetown to reverse the decision. The first sign of this came directly from Beijing. China’s Foreign Ministry demanded that those concerned “avoid setting up any official institutions with each other, and take practical measures to correct mistakes and eliminate negative impacts.”