August 15 marks the 23rd anniversary of friendship between St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Republic of China on Taiwan.
It was under the leadership of the late Prime Minister Milton Cato that the links were first established when he led a delegation on a tour of that Asian nation.{{more}}
That step led to several other countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) following the move by the Vincentian Government and establishing their own links with the Taiwanese people.
These links have grown to the point where last year the first resident Taiwanese Ambassador, Elizabeth Chu, assumed office here. The Taiwanese see this as a demonstration of the deepening of the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
So far this year, we have seen a host of new initiatives from Taiwan that will benefit Vincentians as a whole. Among them are the establishment of multi-resource centres around the country, and a new fund for the implementation of the Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) Programme 2004 to bring new life to the young.
There was also a Taiwan Trade Show to bridge the gap between the two countries, new sponsorship for Vincy Mas, agricultural programmes for the Liberty Lodge Boys’ Training Centre, and the donation of resources including clothing and toys from the Taiwanese community in the United States.
The Taiwanese are also proud of the role played by their agricultural experts in assisting Vincentian farmers.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Louis Straker will lead a delegation to Taiwan this month to attend the Eighth Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Taiwan and its allies in the East Caribbean.
A release from the embassy says that the first business of the delegation will be to promote investment, trade, offshore banking and tourism in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. There will also be an exhibition of St. Vincent stamps and handicrafts in Taipei from August 12 to 18.
The embassy of Taiwan has also announced that the first group of Vincentians will receive Taiwan’s diplomatic scholarships to Taiwan, which consist of a full scholarship for a year learning the Chinese language before pursuing a four-year university degree in the career of their choice.