Announcement of new ambassador to Taiwan Imminent?

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]wo years have passed since Hubert Emmanuel was positioned Ambassador of Saint Lucia to the Republic of China, Taiwan—the first to hold this position. As a former scholarship recipient who underwent schooling in Taiwan while only Kittitian Ambassador, Jasmine Elise Huggins, operated as not only an envoy for students from her country, but also for Saint Lucians and Vincentians, I can vouch for the importance of the position. Being miles from home, anything can happen. I have witnessed Ambassadors step in to diffuse disputes with travel agents with thousands of dollars at stake and threats of arrests made against students; where students’ rights were being trampled in schools and dormitories, and other such scenarios. So, the announcement of a Saint Lucian Embassy and ambassador in 2015 was a relief, if only for the fact that over one hundred Saint Lucians now reside in the Asian country.

Ever since it was proclaimed in mid-March that Emmanuel would be returning to Saint Lucia there was widespread speculation as to the future of the Saint Lucian embassy in Taiwan.   The former Ambassador himself recently discounted the rumours. In an interview with the STAR he took the opportunity to clear the air.

Emmanuel said he chose to return home despite the opportunity to renew his two-year engagement. Reason? He felt he could better serve at home.  He left in his wake a body of students with whom he had gotten well acquainted, as well as a budding relationship with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing Wen, who expressed her sadness at Emmanuel’s departure. When Tsai Ing Wen, of the Democratic Progressive Party, was appointed Taiwan’s seventh President—its first female president— in 2016, her stance on the country’s independence added to its historical significance. She was openly pro-independence, a distinct difference from former Ma Ying- jeou and his Kuomintang coalition’s “one China” approach. Since then, the country had lost two diplomatic ties: Sao Tome and Principe and more recently Panama. Things were also uncertain about Saint Lucia’s position, precisely at the switch of government in 2016, when the United Worker’s Party took office. Emmanuel says, it was then that the benefits of maintaining relations with Taiwan needed to be adamantly emphasized.

In political spheres Taiwan is often affectionately referred to as Saint Lucia’s “big brother”— for fairly obvious reasons.  Emmanuel says “moral support is the most we can give Taiwan in return, considering its diplomatic circumstances . . . Saint Lucia needs to continue to push the agenda at the UN and other international bodies to indicate that Taiwan is a true democracy and deserving of more autonomy. We need to indicate to the world what Taiwan is doing for us.”

For Saint Lucia, the benefits are clear. Taiwan has injected millions of dollars into Saint Lucia’s economy, undertaken initiatives like the GI NET project, which aims to develop wireless hotspots in public zones throughout the island. But the outcomes of such projects are sometimes difficult to measure. To maximize success, Emmanuel suggested an altered approach. Having witnessed firsthand the economic and technological strides by Taiwan, a small island between the East and South China seas, Emmanuel urged that we could together, put more focus on the private sector than on government initiatives.

“They continue to give government the grand funding,” Emmanuel said, “but focusing on private sector development would allow the economy to generate more jobs. A lot of money has been poured into government initiatives and some of it proved a waste of funds.”  He added that it was no coincidence Taiwan has established one of the most enviable health insurance systems in the world and although Saint Lucia should not take on large-scale projects it cannot easily maintain; areas like healthcare, agriculture and education would benefit greatly from partnerships with Taiwanese associations. This he said, was the groundwork he laid while in Taiwan as Ambassador, and it should continue.

As for rumors that he will not be replaced, Emmanuel said: “I know someone has already been appointed but I will give no name. In fact, we’ve met while I was still in Taiwan. It’s just the official announcement that hasn’t been made, something I expect to hear next week.” It does appear, based on Emmanuel’s reports, that Saint Lucian’s relationship with Taiwan has never been better.