by RICKEY SINGH

NO!

That's the firm answer from Barbados to the possibility of any diplomatic tango between this country and Taiwan.

The Government of Prime Minister David Thompson is sticking with Barbados' long established "One-China" policy and will maintain diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, established 31 years ago.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and International Business Christopher Sinckler made this position clear in a brief interview with the DAILY NATION.

Questioned whether the recent cabled congratulations from the Taiwanese foreign ministry after the Democratic Labour Party's (DLP) electoral victory on January 15 suggested a developing relationship with Taiwan that could result in diplomatic ties, Sinckler shot down such a possibility in one word – no.

The Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) had made as one of its major political planks during the election campaign allegations of Taiwan's funding of the DLP in exchange for establishing diplomatic ties with the administration in Taipei.

Thompson, however, denied any such funding deal with Taiwan, as raised by former Prime Minister and Barbados Labour Party leader Owen Arthur.

Thompson dismissed the allegation in advertisements and from campaign platforms as a "political red herring".

Sinckler, a former head of the Barbadian-based Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC), a regional network of non-governmental organisations, was himself emphatic in distancing the DLP from any "deal with Taiwan".

As general secretary of the DLP, he said in a televised pre-election panel discussion on CBC TV that at no time did any discussion take place for funding from Taiwan; no money was ever requested or received and no such arrangement was being contemplated.

In one of its special publications for the campaign, Election Record of January 7, the BLP had charged under the headline Thompson Exposed, that "the Democratic Labour Party is funding its campaign with money from the government of Taiwan, on the condition that if it wins next week's election, the Dems will break diplomatic relations with China . . .".