Haiti’s foreign minister joined a major diplomatic forum in Beijing on Tuesday, marking a rare appearance by one of Taiwan’s dwindling allies at a China-led event. The China-CELAC Forum, aimed at boosting ties with Latin American and Caribbean nations, comes as Beijing intensifies efforts to diplomatically isolate Taiwan.
Taiwan, a self-governed island that China claims as its territory, maintains official ties with only 12 countries. Of those, Haiti and Saint Lucia were present at the Beijing forum, with Haiti represented by Foreign Minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste and Saint Lucia by diplomat Peter Lansiquot. Reuters reporters confirmed the presence of their national flags at the plenary session.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian described the forum as a platform for “mutually beneficial cooperation,” but did not comment specifically on the attendance of Taiwan’s allies. Taiwan’s foreign ministry and the embassies of Haiti and Saint Lucia did not immediately respond to media inquiries.
Other Taiwan allies in the region, including Guatemala and Belize, did not have flags displayed at the venue, suggesting they were not in attendance.
Taiwan strongly opposes China’s sovereignty claims and insists on its right to establish diplomatic relations globally. Beijing, however, continues to pressure nations to sever ties with Taipei. In 2023, Honduras became the latest country to switch allegiance to Beijing.
Saint Lucia previously held relations with Beijing but restored ties with Taiwan in 2007, while Haiti has been a Taiwan ally since 1956. Their participation in the China-CELAC Forum highlights the geopolitical complexities and growing diplomatic competition between China and Taiwan in Latin America.
This development underscores China’s continued strategy to engage Taiwan’s allies, even within multilateral settings.