Earlier on Thursday, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it had signed an agreement with Guyana on Jan. 11 to open an office in Taiwan, effectively a de facto embassy for the island.
Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of nearly 24 million people located off the southeast coast of mainland China, despite the two parties having been separately ruled for more than seven decades.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin responded to the decision by saying Beijing hoped Guyana would not establish official ties with Taiwan, calling on the country to “take serious steps to correct their mistake” .
On Thursday afternoon, just hours after China’s response, Guyana’s Foreign Ministry said it was reversing the agreement and continuing to adhere to the “One China” policy.
“The government has not established any diplomatic ties or relations with Taiwan and due to the miscommunication of the signed agreement, this agreement has since been terminated,” Guyana said.
Guyana has long had close ties with China. A former British colony, Guyana has recently begun developing offshore oil reserves and is strategically located next to strife-torn Venezuela, a key Chinese ally with which Guyana has a territorial dispute.