INTERVIEW/Taiwan-educated Vincentian journalist returns as ambassador to deepen ties

Taipei, May 29 (CNA) Kenton Chance, a veteran journalist from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) who studied in Taiwan 20 years ago, has returned as his country's ambassador, aiming to attract more Taiwanese investment to the Caribbean nation and further strengthen bilateral ties.

Chance, who presented his credentials to President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Thursday, was appointed earlier this year by the new Vincentian government led by Prime Minister Godwin Friday.

"I look at it as an opportunity to serve my country," he told CNA in an interview later Thursday, referring to his decision to take up the diplomatic post.

Chance first came to Taiwan in 2006 on a Taiwan government-sponsored scholarship to study Mandarin Chinese.

He later pursued a four-year undergraduate program at Ming Chuan University, graduating in 2011 with a degree in journalism and mass communication.

A year later, he completed a master's degree in international affairs at the same university, focusing on global governance.

After completing his studies in Taiwan, Chance worked as a journalist in several countries, including a year at the now-defunct English-language China Post newspaper in Taiwan. He is also the founder of the SVG-based iWitness News.

In 2022, he became the first Vincentian to receive Taiwan's Distinguished Taiwan Alumni Award from the Ministry of Education.

Asked about his experience studying in Taiwan and how it influenced his career as a journalist, Chance said both the formal education and the "overall package" of living in Taiwan prepared him to work as a reporter anywhere in the world.

On his transition from journalism to diplomacy, Chance said both professions involve managing relationships and mastering communication.

SVG ties with Taiwan 'nothing to worry about'

Located in the Caribbean, SVG is one of 12 states that maintain diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, Taiwan's official name. The two sides established ties in 1981.

However, concerns emerged that the long-standing ally could switch diplomatic recognition after Friday's New Democratic Party (NDP) won 14 of the 15 parliamentary seats in last November's general election, ending former Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves' 24-year rule.

The NDP had previously proposed switching recognition from Taipei to Beijing, but Friday did not publicly address the issue during the 2025 election campaign.

Asked about the party's stance on the issue, Chance said that in 2016 the then-opposition NDP did announce that it would switch diplomatic recognition to China if elected.

However, after Friday became party leader later that year, the issue was no longer publicly raised during elections, Chance said.

"What I want to say to the people of Taiwan is to focus on what the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has done since it came to office," he said, citing the fact that Taiwan's ambassador Fiona Fan (范惠君) was one of the first diplomats with whom the new government met.

He pointed out that a delegation led by Vincentian Deputy Prime Minister St. Clair Leacock visited Taiwan in March.

Reflecting on the 45 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the envoy said every country must determine what serves its long-term interests, and maintaining ties with Taiwan "is in our best long-term interest."

"There is no reason for us to break this relationship with Taiwan. The people of Taiwan should really not worry about it," he said.

"Taiwan has really helped Saint Vincent and the Grenadines become the country that it is now," particularly in human resource development, he added, citing his own achievements as an example.

Looking ahead, Chance said the NDP government supports an "economic diplomacy" foreign policy focused on working with partners such as Taiwan to jointly develop and strengthen the Vincentian economy.

SVG offers strong tourism potential in the Caribbean, he said.

"We have sun, we have sea, we have ecotourism, we have diving, we have sailing, we have beautiful waterfalls, mountains, and a volcano. We have almost everything that most people would want to look for," he said.

He called on Taiwanese businesses to visit his country and invest in its hospitality sector.

"We've been friends for 45 years. I mean, that's nothing to slight. So we are beyond friends. We are like family now."

"And it's time for us to integrate our economies a little bit more," the envoy added.