Taiwan resumes ties with St Lucia, angers China

TAIPEI, May 1 (Reuters) Taiwan has resumed diplomatic ties with the small Caribbean island of St Lucia, the Foreign Ministry said today, in a move that sparked indignation and drew protest from China.

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement it had reestablished ties yesterday with the tropical resort island -- just 43 km (27 miles) long with a population 165,000.

China condemned the move.

The resumption of St Lucia's ties with Taiwan was ''a flagrant violation of the declaration on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and St Lucia'', the Xinhua news agency quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao as saying.

Xinhua quoted Liu as saying that China had already lodged a strong protest to the government of St Lucia.

St Lucia broke ties with Taiwan in 1997, but the ruling party has since changed.

China has claimed sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949 and under its ''one China'' policy forbids diplomatic allies from official contact with Taipei.

Taiwan and China compete, sometimes via chequebook diplomacy, for diplomatic recognition in poorer regions. Other than the Vatican, Taiwan's allies are mostly little nations in the South Pacific, Africa and Latin America.

''Taiwan cannot in anyway equal China in chequebook diplomacy. We don't rely on money,'' Foreign Ministry James Huang said at a news conference announcing the renewed ties with St Lucia.

Reuters RJ VP1300