The 2004 decision to abandon ties with Taiwan in favor of relations with China wasn’t taken lightly, according to the man behind that decision, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.
For the first time he has been talking publicly about why Taiwan was sidelined.
The prime minister says Dominica, struggling with an IMF (International Monetary Fund) programme, begged Taiwan for help, but to no avail.
“During our crisis period under the IMF programme in 2002, the Taiwanese never came forward to assist us. We begged them for the (Windsor Park) stadium, they offered us a loan. We begged them for debt forgiveness – never gave us any assistance during this critical period” he told reporters at a news conference on Monday.
“We had extensive discussions with Taiwan,” PM Skerrit said, the level of dissatisfaction he felt with those talks still etched on his face years later as he recounted going to London and New York to engage Taiwanese representatives on possible help for Dominica.
“The night before I left to go to China I spoke to the Taiwanese ambassador at his residence”.
According to the prime minister he emphasized there that “Dominica needs help, and you are not prepared to help us”.
“There was no help, this country needs help under the IMF programme our people are hurting. Too many cuts we had to make, imposition of serious taxes on the people.
And if you are our friend you have to come forward and assist us,” PM Skerrit recalls telling the ambassador.
He says Taiwan was fully aware of Dominica’s dissatisfaction with the relationship.
Comparing the 21-year relationship with Taiwan to the 8 years Dominica has to date been China’s ally, Prime Minister Skerrit insisted that ties with Beijing had been “vastly more beneficial to Dominica”.
Major projects being undertaking with Chinese funding (loans and grants) include the West Coast Road project(from Roseau to Portsmouth), the Windsor Park Stadium, and ongoing projects including the $27 million state house and the modern “state-of-the-art” State College.
Woy.. My stomach hurting.. I have malvat
some of you must go to martinique to see the amount of chinese in the place.china is helping the so-called world powers like england and america and you litlle kiss me find DA can do without their help.i grew up in the 60’s and those of you who don’t know that era better keep your traps shut.neither el-is-a-bet nor a-merry ca never help us as china when you take the number of years we link to them.be realistic.
Is skerritt looking for sympathy?
Mr. Skerrit, in 2002 you were not the P.M. and you were definitely not the Minister for foreign affairs then.
A new empire is rising. The worst part is they have no resistance to their expansion. face that fact. Unless we pull together and build political and economic integrity we will not defeat them. This new war is a war of the minds of the people.
China, before releasing $100M to Dominica, required Dominica sign the “One China Doctrine” which stipulates that Dominica doesn’t recognize Taiwain as a country. Dominica didn’t help international relations when they paired with Venezuela. What’s next Dominica? North Korea? LOL.
Oh i guess china is going to invade America.
If America getting Aid from China why cant little Dominica get. I find you all thinking is like….
so wayz my comment?
Pm claims that the people of Dominica hurting he moved from Taiwan to China and got a state palace and repavement of a Road! When will I hear about investment in job creation, investments in agriculture. Talk to me about the reduction of the poverty rate nit about sea defense walls…..
Like every good parent, Taiwan was commited to help Dominica grow into a nation which will be financial independent and will be able to take care of it’s people. Look at the AID we received from Taiwan The introduction of technology in Agriculture and Fishiers. Financial support for the construction of the International airport. New roads at Delies to Petit savanne and Bellefast to Warner. Budget support for Education (Free school books)and Scholarships.
Taiwan was not interested in taking over the economy of Dominica and had no need to pay Politicians. They supported the people.
Taiwanese are same people as Chinese so if our people here against chinese for all their reasons why are they for Taiwanese anyway. I guess it just it all depends on which political party we support here in Dominica.
We’re gonna look up one day and Dominica has virtually become Little China in the Caribbean.
and?
Good move in the right direction, look at what they are doing to Grenada at the moment.
Let’s go down memory lane. Remember when Pierre Charles was PM? Did any Minister in his Cabinet travel to Barbados to meet with officials of Mainland China without the knowledge of the former PM? Wasn’t it while Dominica had relatiopns with Taiwan? What madness? Didn’t the DLP Govt. and the country still enjoy foreign relations with Taiwan when that Minister clandestinely, secretly met with officials of Mainland China? Wasn’t that high-class disrespect for the then Leader, his colleagues and the country?
Wasn’t that action irresponsible to the highest degree? Who gave that Minister the right or go ahead to meet with the mainland Chinese? Was that diplomacy or downright foolishness? But who had invited that Minister to that meeting in Barbados?
Such attitudes and behaviour, acting unilaterally, not informing the then Leader or his own Govt. colleagues of that meeting, the purpose or what was discussed was the beginning of the secretive nature of what was to come. Dominicans were and still are in the dark. Do not fool yourselves. It could never be that Skerritt on his own decided to go to Barbados, meet with officials from China there, forgetting and/or disregarding the relations Dominica still had with Taiwan. Soon after Charles’ death relations were established with China.
DNO and Dominicans, in general, are aware of those things. That Barbados trip is yet to be refuted. The truth must come to light about all those secret things one of those days. Then and only then we will see what kind of politician and governance of the country we are faced with. How could a people accept or condone such behaviours by officials in Public office?
DNO I posted a similar article to Remember- why was it not posted – there wasn’t anything scanderlous or slanderous in there was there?
that’s right how dare he look out for the best interest of Dominica and not Taiwan
What is good for Dominica does not necessarily mean good for the citizens. Case in point: building the infrastructure and the stadium do not directly benefit our citizens because the labor is done by Chinese nationals. These people needs jobs more than just telling them about projects that are done for the country. The citizens are the one who will have to pay back the loans, mind you.
O.k.? What about the revenue that can the presence of a stadium bring? Test matches, etc…..
boss,no body owes anything and stop behaving like
ladies of the night soliciting alms.attract credible foreign investments to create employment so that all dominican can live comfortably.no country has a right to share any of thir resources with us…unless they want to.is all that kind of thinking and things like the red clinic that encouraging laziness and that culture of begging in the country!!!
******This is just ONE SIDE of the story****
Knowing the PM can not always be trusted we must find out what Taiwan has to say!!!
my boy u do what best for the country all the way with china
a a ! liminlucy u hv issues man! hmmmmmm
SOME OF ALL U DOMINICANS ARE SO IGNORANT…THE PRIME MINISTER CAN BRING JESUS TO DOMINICA AND SOME OF YOU WILL STILL FIND FAULT…YOU NEGATIVE DOMINICANS NEED TO WAKE UP!!!!!!
LIMINGLUCY,DID U SMOKE SOMETHING STRONG THIS MORNING,THAT THE ..ARE SAYING
am still trying to understand what help dominica need,dominica needs jobs{JOBS].dominica understand something,building roads and state house is not development.and that’s what dominica fail to realize,stop begging PM and create JOBS.
You are not very smart
You aren’t so very smart either.
But we still dont no wat in de M O U mr prime minister. Its impossible for china to be doing all this for nothing. Yet again roseau is soon gonna become china town. A country of beggers that wat we became.
I smell a rat! why didn’t he come forward with this sooner? why now?
China is the only super power that has not invaded another country. Even though they are opportunist( tell me which country isnt), they have done more for Dominica than all other countries have done for us collectively. At the end of the day, even though their intentions might be wrong, what they are doing is right for Dominica.
“even though their intentions might be wrong, what they are doing is right for Dominica”
hmmmm, now thats interesting EVEN THOUGH you are contradicting yourself…
if someone’s ‘intention’ is wrong when dealing with you… then whatever they do can never be right… did you actually think… consume then type what you posted??? i certainly would not even put that down…. i believe this came ‘honestly’ from you and not for kixx sake…. smh… are these the kind of thinking many adults have…. it’s like a woman dating a man… he gives her money, pays her bills but secretly have sex with her daughter…. bad intention so whatever he does can never be good…. there is really a dependency syndrome in dominica….
AMEN TO THAT! MOT
SOME PEOPLE ARE SO RATIONALLY DEFICIENT
What about Tibet.
Tell us how much you know about Tibet！！
Tibet was never a country, and China never invaded
Tibet.
You said
“China is the only super power that has not invaded another country”
You seem to have forgotten Tibet.
Tibet was never a country, and China never invaded
Tibet. You have no any konwledge of China’s history. Poor guy!
u too sort!!!!!! china has done not a thing 4 dca in comparism to what cuba and USa has done this far…. get some common sense…. maybe u can buy some at JE in roseau!!!
And you don’t seem any smarter because compare what has been done in 8 yrs as opposed to 30 years. The relationship with the PRC is relatively new as opposed to the the US and other traditional partners. In past and recent years US support to Dominica and the Caribbean in general has been dwindling. Educate yourself with the facts at hand first and then you can elevate your level of discuss.
why dem sack sot like dat posts comments anyway
i would like to give him a tap eh tet
Where did the entire island road network come from…China?
Hmmmmm… I wonder in which bed are we going to wake up with a disease – China or Taiwan?
it good 4 us….