Visiting Dignitary

Without a doubt, the event that dominated St. Lucia’s political discussions this past week, along with the fuel and other commodities’ price hikes is the visit to the country by the Taiwanese President.
The event stirred up quite a lot of controversy with, for a start, the opposition St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) having its elected Parliamentarians boycott the arrangements being made to honour the President and his entourage.
The visit came at a time when, once more, Taiwan’s fortunes were taking front stage on the world scene, the recently-held elections resulting in an overwhelming victory for the opposition party in that country … and amidst accusations being bandied about with allegations that Taiwan was displaying more than usual interest in the campaigning in Barbados, leading up to that country’s general elections.
The visiting delegation has come and gone, leaving behind them as much discussion and argument as existed before and during their brief stay among us.
There are those who contend that the fact that the President took the time to come here demonstrates the level of esteem and respect that Taiwan has for St. Lucia and indicates that country’s intentions to continue to keep to the commitments made with regard to supplying us with aid for our development.
Then there are those who regard the visit as simply a matter of show, a public relations exercise, planned before the Taiwanese elections were due, designed to demonstrate to their people back home how popular and strong the support for their administration was in this corner of the world. And those of that opinion allege that nothing positive in the way of investment or further commitment was gained.

The question is, with the defeat of the government party by an opposition that is apparently pro-unification of the two Chinas, how importantly do we stand to figure in their future plans?
For one thing, the need for our vote in the U.N. is no doubt slated to disappear. Competition between the two factions will no longer exist and the strategy of vying for diplomatic ties, with its outpouring of gifts, may soon be a thing of the past.
And here back home, on our own diplomatic chess table, does one not wonder whether the SLP boycott – which was declared “on principle”, was not also incited by the reluctance to appear in any way as betrayers of the alliance they have with the mainland China government?
As we stand today, the future of the President who just this week paid us a visit hangs in the balance, pending Taiwan’s Presidential elections. What the outcome will be – and of more importance to St. Lucia – what the outcome will mean for us, is at this point nebulous.
What however, is crystal clear, is that our fortunes and our economic and developmental outlook are much too dependent and inextricably bound to the political fortunes of a foreign country on the other side of the world.
We never hold our breath in fear … not to this extent … when a government changes hands in Britain, or the U.S., or France, or any of the other countries with which we have diplomatic ties.
Normal, benevolent relations … that is as far as they should go.
After all, we are a colony of no super power – at least, not the last time we looked.