Taipei has lashed out at China for “bullying” and “suppression” after Guyana terminated an agreement with Taiwan to set up a representative office in the South American country.
Taiwan’s remarks come after the Guyanese Foreign Ministry issued a statement announcing the termination of the agreement soon after China called the accord a “mistake”.
On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin responded to the “agreement,” urging Guyana to “earnestly take steps to correct their mistake.”
There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, said Wang.
“We hope the relevant party will abide by the one-China principle, refrain from any form of official exchanges and establishment of official institutions with Taiwan, take concrete actions to correct the error and eliminate the negative effects,” he added.
In a statement, Guyana foreign ministry on Thursday said that the government continues to adhere to the one-China policy.
The announcement comes hours after Taiwan foreign ministry announced Taiwan is to open a representative office in Guyana.
Responding to the abrupt change, Taiwan foreign ministry said, that both sides had agreed to announce the Taiwan Office through the media. The foreign ministry said Guyana’s decision is “regrettable” and denounced Beijing for “bullying.”
“We condemn in the strongest terms the Chinese government’s bullying and suppression of Taiwan’s international space,” it said.
On January 11, an agreement was inked with the Guyanese Department of Foreign Trade to establish a “Taiwan office,” with the possibility that Guyana would open a reciprocal office in Taiwan, the Taiwan foreign ministry said in a statement.
Beijing’s move does not conform with the February 5 pronouncement by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the World Economic Forum that “the strong should not bully the weak” and decisions should not be made by “waving a big fist,” the ministry said.