CASTRIES, St. Lucia (CMC):

The St. Lucia-based Chinese Embassy is urging the speeding up of official ties with the new government of St. Lucia warning that Taiwan is trying to sabotage the process.

Chinese Ambassador to St. Lucia, Gu Huaming, said the process of signing a memorandum of understanding with the new government needs to be expedited amid what he told newsmen are attempts by Taiwan to rupture relations between St. Lucia and China.

"Taiwan's leader visited Nicaragua in January and attempted to come to St. Lucia for talks with the new government but they refused to grant him an audience," Huaming told reporters Friday.

St. Lucia broke diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1997 shortly after the St. Lucia Labour Party came to power.

The United Workers Party, which won the December 11 general election last year, has already committed itself to maintaining diplomatic ties with China.

Back-stabbing

But the Chinese say they are concerned about Taiwan's efforts to undermine the process.

The ambassador said the Taiwanese made a further incursion when that country's ambassador to St. Kitts and Nevis visited here on a number of occasions.

"Reports reaching our embassy suggest that he has been seeking to sabotage the good relations between China and St. Lucia," the ambassador added.

China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and the Chinese ambassador said that Taiwan is as much a part of his country as Pigeon Island in the north is part of St. Lucia.

When questioned about reports that Taiwanese officials have been in St. Lucia, apparently looking for property, the ambassador said he was not aware of that, saying he felt sure that the current administration would not allow it to happen.

China is currently undertaking the construction of a US$10.1 million mental health facility on the island, having already completed the construction of a sports stadium and plans to build a cultural centre on completion of the hospital.