Cheque book diplomacy
Editorial
Stabroek News
May 15, 2007
Last week the People's Republic of China (PRC) suspended diplomatic relations with St Lucia. To informed observers, it was no surprise and all too predictable once the St Lucian government had re-established diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
The Chinese government of course considers Taiwan to be "an inalienable part of China's territory" and forbids diplomatic allies from official contact with Taiwan. The Taiwan issue is for them an internal affair. It is a bit like a family row involving estranged relatives, with the parent brooking no outside interference.
When Sir John Compton's United Workers Party (UWP) won last December's general election, there was intense speculation as to whether it would resume relations with Taiwan, after the 13-year hiatus during which it had been ditched in favour of the PRC by the St Lucia Labour Party (SLP) government of the previous Prime Minister, Dr Kenny Anthony.
In April, the new Foreign Minister, Rufus Bousquet, announced the intention to renew relations with Taiwan, referring to "the overwhelming consensus within Cabinet". The reference to an "overwhelming consensus" is intriguing, for it would seem that the Cabinet was not united on the issue. Mr Bousquet's subsequent statement explaining that the action "should not be construed as a severance" with the PRC, with the implication that St Lucia could have diplomatic relations with both countries, is naïve at best. It would appear that the neophyte Foreign Minister thought that he could play cheque book diplomacy and maintain full relations with both the PRC and Taiwan, playing one off against the other in the pursuit of increased cooperation and aid. The move is also widely regarded as the pay back for Taiwan's financial support to the UWP during the electoral campaign. It could however prove to be an ill-considered political gamble.
Indeed, the initial announcement of the intention to resume full relations with Taiwan was greeted with firm disapproval by Chinese officials. When on April 30, St Lucia and Taiwan formally re-established diplomatic relations, with the signing of a communiqué by the Foreign Ministers of both countries, China responded in strong language expressing shock and offence at what it regards as "wanton interference" in its internal affairs and reasserting its sovereignty over Taiwan. The statement went so far as to issue an open threat with no attempt at diplomatic language: "…if the Saint Lucian government continues to act wilfully, it must bear full responsibility for the consequences arising therefrom, and the Chinese side reserves the right to take further action."
So said, so done. On May 4, the PRC suspended diplomatic relations and all cooperation projects with St Lucia. Its press release of the same date makes no attempt to conceal its anger, carrying on in the same vein as the previous statement.
There is a twist in the tale however.
There have been reports of serious divisions within the Cabinet with regard to the decision. A "Group of Eight", led by the Foreign Minister, now stands in open defiance of the Prime Minister's attempts to dissuade them from the Taiwan option and even to discipline Mr Bousquet.
Then a statement that Sir John was supposed to have made to the nation but never did, was leaked to the media. In the purported statement, the Prime Minister was going to speak in favour of maintaining relations with China, arguing that full relations and cooperation with an acknowledged world power, a member of the UN Security Council recognised by over 160 countries, a nation with the largest population and the fastest growing economy in the world, made more sense than relations with relatively isolated Taiwan which has relations with fewer than 50 countries.
This tale is not yet fully writ. Sir John clearly has a fight on his hands not just over this vexing issue, but for control of his government and over his very political survival. He has been out of the country for his annual medical check up and latest reports indicate that he has been hospitalised for further checks. It is to be hoped that his situation is not too serious.
If the China-Taiwan issue has been used cynically to send him a message about his political shelf life, then he will have to take on the dissidents who favour cheque book diplomacy over principle, realpolitik and plain common sense.
Sir John is 82, but he still possesses amazing energy and he still has all his wits and political cunning, as his electoral triumph last year proved. The old survivor will however now have all to play for, if he is to prevail, for his own sake and for his country's sake.