As he lamented the diplomatic blunder in this country agreeing to have a Taiwan Investment Office set up here, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Tuesday said that the decision taken by the Foreign Affairs Ministry was unknown to the PPP/C Cabinet.
“It should have never happened and it was corrected,” Jagdeo told a press conference, held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
“It did not, as far as I know when I had a briefing on this matter, have the approval of the Cabinet,” he added.
He did not go into details of how and by whom the decision was taken and said that he does not know if anyone was or will be disciplined for the bungle, as the issue “has not come up at the level of the Cabinet.”
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 amid a blast from the Chinese Government. The debacle has raised questions about decision-making at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and whether Cabinet had been aware of the plan.
Last Wednesday evening, the US announced the decision through a statement posted by its embassy here and which was shared by Deputy Secretary of State Julie Chung on her Twitter page.
“The United States applauds the agreement to establish a Taiwan Office in Guyana. Deepening ties between Guyana and Taiwan will advance their shared goals of prosperity and security. Closer ties with Taiwan will advance cooperation and development in Guyana on the basis of shared democratic values, transparency, and mutual respect,” the statement said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd had told Stabroek News on Wednesday night that this new measure did not affect the state’s commitment to the one China policy.
Todd had said that compartmentalization was key and there would be no bilateral diplomatic relations between Guyana and Taiwan as the ‘One China Policy’ has not been broken.
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 last Thursday that those concerned “avoid setting up any official institutions with each other, and take practical measures to correct mistakes and eliminate negative impacts.”
And less than a day after the disclosure, the government announced that it was scrapped.
“The Government of Guyana has noted various media releases on the matter of a Taiwan Office in Guyana. The Government of Guyana wishes to clarify that it continues to adhere to the One China policy and its diplomatic relations remain intact with the People’s Republic of China,” a statement said.
“The Government has not established any diplomatic ties or relations with Taiwan and as a result of the miscommunication of the agreement signed, this agreement has since been terminated”.
It did not explain from where the “miscommunication” had come.
Jagdeo on Tuesday assured that this country never shifted from the One China policy and throughout the years and with the current PPP/C government, Beijing knows this.
