Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr. Ralph Gonsalves believes that there is a need for greater unity among the Caribbean states. His comments came while delivering remarks at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus 14th Annual Dame Eugenia Charles Memorial Lecture held at the State House Conference Centre this week.
Dr. Gonsalves who was the guest speaker presented on the topic “Our Caribbean Civilization and Its Political Prospects.”
“The necessity and desirability for an independent Caribbean united is more urgent than anything,” he said. “I know there are problems in getting there, but we have to cooperate and do things more together.”
According to him, there are many domestic challenges, “but you really can’t deal with the serious ones unless you work together.”
He added that issues such as climate change, climate financing, war and peace, and the ongoing war in Ukraine are matters in which the region needs a united position.
Dr. Gonsalves revealed that on Monday, December 2, he sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Joe Biden, the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres making a plea for peace and said he intends to send the letter to every head of state in the world.
Furthermore, he pointed out that with the threat of the use of nuclear weapons, it is important for Caribbean leaders to be in solidarity on certain questions, “even when we disagree with each other politically.”
“There are some things which we must at least, for the good of the nation, and for our civilisation regionally, work together,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Dr. Gonsalves defended his government’s decision to have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
He said within the Caribbean seven-member Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the governments of St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
“The other country in the region that has diplomatic relations with Taiwan is Haiti,” he explained.
Dr. Gonsalves further explained that occasionally the mainland Chinese send their emissaries directly, and indirectly, to him to change the relations.
“We are not going to do so. Let me make it plain. I have nothing, I don’t say anything against mainland China. Our position is simple, there is one Chinese civilisation of which you can have more than one legitimate political organisers of state,” he remarked.
He explained that Taiwan was part of mainland China for centuries and in 1949 the defeated Chinese nationalists fled to the island.
“They claimed that they represented the whole of China, more and more that became threadbare because you can’t have a small island representing the whole of China,” Dr. Gonsalves added. “For all practical purposes, two entities emerged.”
He continued, “You cannot tell me that in order for me to have diplomatic relations with you, I have to break diplomatic relations with Taiwan. You can’t dictate to me. We have a relationship (and) anytime you say that I can have relations with you while having with Taiwan, tomorrow morning I am ready to have relations with you. But we view that in our interest to maintain these relations”
Dr. Gonsalves said his desire is for peace across the Taiwan Strait.
“What I want to see across the Taiwan Strait, there be peace because if you think Ukraine is bad, if war breaks out across the Taiwan Straits and I say it all the time sometimes, I don’t know if it is going to 200, 300 years from now, 50 years from now, 30 years from now, Taiwan and mainland China will work out their problems without anything to do with me,” he stressed.“They have a different view of time than we have. Do not expect me to pick a fight with a country with 1.4 billion people”.
Let America pick the war with China Ralph, what’s wrong with you! That’s what the world is waiting on Ralph.Are you not a citizen of the world? Please let China sink some Aircraft carriers and embarrass the war mongers and neocons in America. It may happen during Trumps reign, because he, surprisingly, has gone for a lot of war hawks to guide his foreign policy. So his foreign policy portends wars, just like Biden’s. By the way big belly Ralph, what is your view on Biden’s granting of pardon to his son Hunter Biden? Both Joe and Hunter raked MILLIONS from Hunter’s job in the business “Burisma” in Ukraine. See how putrid, rotten, dirty, filthy and corrupt America is? Are they the ones talking to other counrries about democracy Ralph? Answer me Ralph!
America needs a force like China to put the last nail in its coffin of bloodshed, murder, killings, and assassinations all over the world, and ends its global hegemony.
Now they have an army of terrorists trying to overthrow Assad…
OMG, Ralph do you know the number of books and papers that have been written on this since the collapse of the West Indies Federation and emergence of CARICOM?
Why don’t you guys just do it? You are in the position now so push for its implementation. If you cannot get it done who can?
Start with a common CARICOM Foreign Policy!
Mr Gonsalves does not understand East Asian culture, and in like manner is using a western mentality to try to comprehend an Eastern issue. that will never pan out. they do not think the way we do. Taiwan is and will always be a province of China. Their situation is similar to your child who is angry because you hit him/her and went to his tree house (in your yard) and says that this is his home now. and that you cannot come to his home. The east Asians have a strong sense of family and blood. So even a Chinese person who migrates to the US and after many generations, his/her children will still be seen as Chinese. more accurately, overseas Chinese. they are and forever will be connected by blood. So, Mr Gonzalves, you’d better just recognize the one China policy. saves time and thought.
I am often very critical of the present and past Caribbean leaders. Believe me, I have tried tirelessly to find something positive to laud them with. I’ve been wholly unsuccessful.
These leaders are pirates. They sole purpose in politics is self aggrandizement. They move from a penniless state to unbelievable affluence. Only corruption, greed and ultra-selfishness can be responsible.
To retain power in order to feed from the public trough, they rid elections, harass and falsely arrest their perceived ‘enemies’, they divide and rule, they keep the majority in acute poverty.
For the awful state of affairs in each of these Caribbean jurisdictions – high poverty, crime, joblessness, lawlessness in high places, my confidence in these ‘leaders’ to deliver for their citizens, has been completely shattered.
Their eloquent rhetoric and picturesque promises do not match.