TAIPEI, 4 February, 2021(TON): Taiwan’s foreign ministry said on Thursday, Taiwan has opened a representative office in Guyana.

Guyana, a former British colony, is strategically located next to strife-torn Venezuela, a major Chinese ally with which Guyana has a territorial dispute.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said it had signed an agreement with Guyana on 11 January, 2021 to open a Taiwan Office, in effect a de facto embassy for the island that China claims as its sovereign territory with no right to diplomatic ties.

The office had begun the initial operations on 15 January, noting rich mining and oil resources and capital Georgetown was the seat of the secretariat for the Caribbean Community or CARICOM.

There are not good ties between China and Guyana.

Foreign Minister Hugh Todd said what is being set up is a trade and investment office in Georgetown to “create space” for the private sector in Taiwan and Guyana to do business.

“Guyana is not recognizing Taiwan as an independent state. Guyana is not establishing diplomatic relations with Taipei,” he said.

The U.S. embassy in Guyana favored the agreement.

“Closer ties with Taiwan will advance cooperation and development in Guyana on the basis of shared democratic values, transparency, and mutual respect”,” it said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Beijing hoped Guyana would not engage in official ties with Taiwan, calling on the country to “earnestly take steps to correct their mistake”.

It is seen that Taiwan only has formal diplomatic relations with 14 countries, including four Caribbean nations.