During a meeting with Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, a former diplomatic ally of
Taiwan, in Beijing, President Xi Jinping declared that China is prepared to expand its
comprehensive cooperative partnership with Caribbean countries.
According to the official news agency Xinhua, Xi stated that China is prepared to continue
providing aid to nations in the area to support their social and economic advancement.
According to the report, Mitchell stated at the meeting that Grenada has reaped significant
benefits from its relationship with China and looks forward to deepening its cooperation with the
Asian powerhouse.
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Two-way relationships have grown effectively over the last 20 years, according to Xi, who also
stated that both sides should “draw a new blueprint for the long-term and high-level
development of bilateral relations.”
According to Xinhua, Mitchell stated that Grenada was a strong supporter of the one-China
concept and demanded that its territorial integrity and sovereignty be maintained.
Mitchell began his formal week-long visit to China on Saturday, becoming the first foreign leader
Xi has seen in Beijing this year.
Seven of Taiwan’s remaining 12 allies are in the Caribbean and Latin America, which has the
highest number of Taiwan friends.
Taiwan’s administration vehemently opposes China’s notion that the democratically
administered island is part of its territory and has no claim to state-to-state relations.
Twenty years ago, Taiwan severed its relations with Grenada when the Caribbean country
shifted its allegiance to China.
Its allies in the Caribbean still include Haiti, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Vincent
and the Grenadines.
As they vie for diplomatic recognition, China and Taiwan have been accusing one other of
employing “dollar diplomacy” for years.
Taiwanese security authorities stated last year that they thought China would probably keep
reducing the number of its friends.
