Latest news with #PeterLansiquot
South China Morning Post
17-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Beijing ‘flexible' in courting Taiwan allies as Haiti, St Lucia attend mainland forum
Two countries that maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan sent delegations to a high-level forum in Beijing earlier this week, highlighting mainland China's flexible approach to courting Taipei's few remaining official partners, according to analysts. Representatives from Haiti and St Lucia , two Caribbean countries that are among Taiwan's 12 formal allies, attended the China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) Forum on Tuesday, raising concerns about growing diplomatic pressure from Beijing, which holds that the self-ruled island is an inalienable part of China. According to analysts, the presence of the two Caribbean nations at the forum suggests Beijing has taken a 'flexible approach' in dealing with countries that recognise Taiwan. One scholar said that participation in the event did not 'necessarily indicate a shift in allegiance', noting a trend among many countries towards more pragmatic diplomacy. At the venue on Tuesday, the flags of Haiti and St Lucia were seen in the main plenary hall, according to Reuters. The flags of Guatemala and Belize – two other Celac members that have ties with Taiwan – were not seen in the room. Haiti and St Lucia are both members of Celac, a regional bloc with 33 member states. At the forum, Haiti was represented by Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste, while diplomat Peter Lansiquot attended for St Lucia. Taiwan's foreign ministry said the two countries had notified it in advance that their officials would attend and that relations remained 'friendly and stable'.
Bloomberg
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
China Hosts Officials From Two Taiwanese Allies, Worrying Taipei
China's hosting of envoys from two of Taiwan's few remaining allies to an event has caused some concern in Taipei about possibly losing the support on the global stage, further isolating the democracy. Haitian Foreign Minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste and Saint Lucian diplomat Peter Lansiquot took part in the China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Forum in Beijing this week, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
Free Malaysia Today
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Two Taiwan allies attend Beijing's Celac forum
Haiti was represented by its foreign minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste and Saint Lucia, by diplomat Peter Lansiquot. (EPA Images pic) BEIJING : Haiti's foreign minister was one of Taiwan's two diplomatic allies attending a forum on Tuesday in Beijing between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries, as China steps up its pressure campaign against the diplomatically isolated island. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has formal ties with only 12 nations, two of which, Haiti and Saint Lucia, joined the event, the Forum of China and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, or Celac. Reuters reporters at the forum saw the flags of both countries in the main plenary hall at the venue in the Chinese capital, with Haiti represented by foreign minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste and Saint Lucia, by diplomat Peter Lansiquot. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, asked about the presence of the two countries, said the forum is an important platform for 'mutually beneficial cooperation' between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries. 'China has always welcomed and supported the participation of Celac member states in the activities within the framework of the forum,' he told reporters, without elaborating. Neither the Haiti nor Saint Lucia embassies in Taiwan immediately responded to requests for comment, not did Taiwan's foreign ministry. Haiti and Saint Lucia are both members of Celac. Two diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, said China has previously had such interactions with Taiwan allies at the same event. The flags of other Celac members who also have ties with Taiwan, such as Guatemala and Belize, were not seen in the room. Taiwan strongly rejects China's sovereignty claims, saying it has every right to have diplomatic relations with other countries and that China has no right to speak for it on the global stage or pressure its international space. Honduras was the last regional nation to switch diplomatic ties to Beijing from Taipei, in 2023. Saint Lucia has had relations with Beijing before, and re-established ties with Taiwan in 2007, bucking the trend of countries switching to China. Haiti's relations with Taiwan date back to 1956.
