Beijing targets Haiti as bid to isolate Taiwan from its diplomatic allies heads to the Caribbean

If Port-au-Prince ‘can uphold the one-China principle, Beijing is willing to establish country-to-country ties’, commerce official Wang Xiaoyang says

Beijing can provide ‘interest-free loans and concessional loans’ and will ‘respect the recipient country’, he says

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Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:30pm, 14 Sep 2019Updated: 12:00am, 15 Sep 2019

The Caribbean nation of Haiti has become the latest target for Beijing as it seeks to isolate Taiwan from its dwindling diplomatic allies around the world.

Haiti is one of just 17 countries that maintain diplomatic relations with the self-ruled island following a three-year campaign by Beijing to lure away its partners – launched after Tsai Ing-wen, from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, was elected president in 2016 – that saw five nations switch allegiance.

Haiti is one of just 17 countries that maintain diplomatic relations with the self-ruled island, five fewer than in 2016 when Tsai Ing-wen, from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, was elected Taiwan’s president and Beijing started luring away Taipei’s allies.

In an interview with Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste last week, Wang Xiangyang, head of China’s office of commercial development in Haiti, delivered Beijing’s opening bid.

Haiti is one of just 17 countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Photo: Reuters

“If the Haitian government can uphold the one-China principle, the Chinese government is willing to establish normal country-to-country ties with Haiti and enhance cooperation in politics, the economy and trade, public hygiene and education,” he said.

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