Last Updated on February 29, 2020, 6:09 AM AST by Anthony Morris
A diplomat representing the state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines thanked the state of Taiwan on Thursday for Taiwan’s assistance to the Caribbean country. He said that the help extended to significant infrastructure.
The consul general of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Cadrin Gill, said in Los Angeles that St. Vincent and Grenadines’ diplomatic relations with Taiwan over the past 38 years have been stable and cordial.
During that time, Taiwan’s assistance to St. Vincent and the Grenadines included help with large infrastructure projects, Gill said at a news conference that was also attended by Wong Guei-tang deputy director of the Taipei’s Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles.
Gill cited the examples of a bridge in the north of the country and its Argyle International Airport, at which Taiwan helped to construct the terminal building.
“Thank you, my friends,” Gill said in Chinese, also expressing gratitude to the SimplyHelp Foundation in Los Angeles for its donations of food, books and stationery to St. Vincent and Grenadines over the years.
The U.S.-registered non-profit foundation was established in 2000 by a Taiwanese expatriate to provide services to senior citizens and offer vocational training and disaster relief to more than 30 countries around the world.
Also speaking at the press conference, Wong said the foundation has “done a great job.”
The Taiwanese volunteers with the group have established a model for the use of soft power, he said, referring to Taiwan’s efforts to gain greater visibility on the international stage.
Over the span of the past 2 decades, the charity has each year donated some 20 containers of goods to impoverished countries and helped them set up nursing homes and centres to provide care to people in need, Wong said.
Diplomats from Belize and Guatemala, two of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, were also present at the press conference.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
