St. Lucia deputy PM, ministers visit Taiwan

Taipei, Sept. 1 (CNA) Saint Lucian Deputy Prime Minister Ernest Hilaire has arrived in Taiwan for a five-day visit to meet with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and enhance bilateral exchanges, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Monday.

Hilaire, who also serves as minister for Tourism, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Information, arrived at Taoyuan International Airport on Monday afternoon to a welcome from Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺), MOFA said in a press release.

Hilaire is accompanied on the Taiwan trip by Emma Hippolyte, minister for Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs, and Joachim Andre Henry, minister for Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment. The visit is scheduled to conclude on Friday.

Aside from meeting with Lai and attending a banquet to be hosted by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), the Caribbean ally delegation will also make a trip to the Ministry of Culture and visit local cultural tourism sites, MOFA said.

The Saint Lucian delegates are also set to travel to the southern port city of Kaohsiung for a tour of its world-renowned yacht industry, it added.

Hilaire last visited Taiwan in 2023.

Saint Lucia is one of 12 states worldwide that recognize the Republic of China (ROC) -- Taiwan's official name -- instead of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Both countries first established diplomatic relations in 1984, but ties were broken in 1997 when the Caribbean country switched recognition from Taipei to Beijing.

In April 2007, the ROC and Saint Lucia reestablished diplomatic relations, and the PRC consequently severed its ties with the latter.