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Volume No. 1 Issue No. 56 - Monday March 29, 2004 |
Dominica Establishes Diplomatic Relations with Mainland China
 The Dominican News Desk
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skeritt announced today that Dominica has officially broken diplomatic ties with Taiwan and has established official diplomatic relations with Mainland China.
 At the invitation of the Chinese government, Prime Minister Skerrit paid a working visit to China recently. Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Skerrit, on behalf of each government, signed a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic ties in Beijing on March 23.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, in meeting with Skerrit, expressed his country�s heartfelt congratulations on the normalization of bilateral relations between the two countries. Wen observed that the government and people of Dominica are friends of China and the establishment of diplomatic relations turns over a new leaf in bilateral relations.
For his part, Skerrit told his Chinese hosts that Dominica recognizes the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government representing the whole of China and that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory.
In a radio broadcast to the Dominican people, Skerrit announced that Dominica is expected to receive grant funds in the order of EC$330 million ( USD $122 million) by virtue of this action over a six year period.
He reported that Dominica have already received US$4 million. Projects targeted for the grant funds are the Windsor Park Stadium, the road from Roseau to Portsmouth, the Hospital and Human Resource Development.
St. Lucia pursued a similar move a few years ago and was rewarded with a sports stadium.
Dominica have had diplomatic relations with Taiwan going back several decades and have benefited from technical support in Agriculture and financial support for the country�s education system.
Photos courtesy the Chinese News Agency
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