The Government of Guyana on Thursday announced the termination of an agreement with Taiwan to establish an investment office in the country.
The announcement was made less than a day after Taiwan said that it had an investment office in Georgetown.
This led to questions surrounding Guyana’s commitment to the One China Policy and its diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the decision to terminate the agreement was as a consequence of “miscommunication.”
“The Government of Guyana has noted various media releases on the matter of a Taiwan Office in Guyana. The Government of Guyana wishes to clarify that it continues to adhere to the One China policy and its diplomatic relations remain intact with the People’s Republic of China. The Government has not established any diplomatic ties or relations with Taiwan and as a result of the miscommunication of the agreement signed, this agreement has since been terminated,” it said.
On Wednesday, the United States Embassy in Georgetown announced the establishment of a Taiwan office and welcomed the move as Washington has long expressed growing concern about China’s deepening influence in the Caribbean and Latin America.
While there had been no formal announcement by the Foreign Ministry in Georgetown, Taiwan said it signed the agreement on January 11 and started operations on January 15.
Historically, Guyana has supported China and the “One China” policy – which does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state.