Five of the 17 countries, globally, that currently recognise a sovereign ‘Republic of China on Taiwan’ (ROC) are member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). They include Belize, Haiti, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint Lucia.
The other 10 CARICOM member states have diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, including Montserrat which remains a UK colony.
There has been speculation that Belize’s relations with Taiwan is under review by the Dean Barrow administration, but the English-speaking Central American country was visited by ROC President Tsai Ing-wen in 2018 and the two countries committed to “deepening relations” during celebrations to observe 30 years of relations in August 2019.
Saint Lucia changed from Taiwan to China in 1997, then back to Taiwan in 2007, in moves widely linked to development aid for the island.
Haiti has a trade office in Beijing, but has had longstanding diplomatic relations with Taiwan. St Vincent and the Grenadines established relations with Taiwan in 1981 and St Kitts and Nevis in 1983.
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