China breaks off relations with Grenada
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from August 1989.
Brought to you by
"We did what we thought we should do, now they reacted and did what they thought they should do," Blaize told the Associated Press.
China announced it had suspended diplomatic relations with Grenada because the tiny island established ties with Taiwan on 20 July.
The move by Grenada, a nation of 100,000 people, was aimed at harmonizing its foreign policy with the other six members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States.
All the other OECS members had diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Blaize said that shortly after Grenada established relations with Taiwan he met with China's Barbados-based ambassador to Grenada, Lu Zongqing.
"He (the Chinese ambassador) said 'we can't tolerate this type of thing, because there can't be two Chinas," Blaize said.
Grenada has little or any trade with China or Taiwan.
China established relations with Grenada in 1985, promising the Caribbean island foreign aid and technical advise in the manufacturing of bamboo-derived products such as furniture and ornaments.
Foreign Minister Ben Jones said then that one of the conditions laid down by China was that Grenada should have no relations with Taiwan.
