TAIWAN-New St. Vincent and the Grenadines diplomat presents credentials.

TAIPEI, Taiwan, CMC – Journalist Kenton X. Chance has presented his letter of credence as the St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Ambassador to Taiwan, saying that his country “values” its relationship with the Asian country that China regards as a renegade province.

“Our government stands ready to deepen and expand that relationship for the continued benefit of both our peoples and our countries,” said Chance, a Taiwan-trained media professional who spent over 20 years working as a journalist before his diplomatic appointment, effective March 1.

He presented his letter of credence to the President of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, at the Presidential Office in Taipei, two days after presenting a copy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lin Chia-Lung.

Chance, who was appointed following last November’s general election victory of the United Progressive Party (UPP) headed by Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday, noted that his return to Taiwan on March 2 came six months shy of 20 years after he arrived as a student in 2006 with a five-year scholarship from Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“I left Taiwan six years later, in 2012, with an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and a Master of Arts in International Affairs,” said Chance, who founded the Kingstown-based iWitness News and also served as the correspondent for the Barbados-based Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) from 2004 to the time of his appointment.

“My work as a journalist resulted in your Ministry of Education recognizing me, in 2022, as a Distinguished Taiwan Alumnus,” Chance said, adding that as a journalist, he traveled to several countries across the world and in each instance, the education he received in Taiwan served him well.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Taiwan will celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations in August, and Chance noted that he is just as old as Kingstown-Taipei ties.

“Therefore, I consider it a special honor to be representing St. Vincent and the Grenadines in Taiwan at this time,” he said.

Chance recognized the work of Andrea Bowman, Kingstown’s first envoy to Taipei, noting that she was also his high school teacher.

“She laid a solid foundation during her tour of duty. I intend to build on that foundation, erecting pillars in support of a broader, expanded relationship,” Chance said.

In remarks, Lai said Chance’s appointment “at such a significant moment will allow us to witness new milestones in our relations” and expressed hope that Chance’s deep-rooted connection to Taiwan will further deepen the nations’ cooperation in fields such as agriculture, infrastructure, and information and communications technology.

“We continue to cherish this longstanding partnership as we embrace the future together … Going forward, I believe we will build on existing cooperation in smart agriculture and smart medicine and continue to deepen and diversify our collaboration, helping us realize our goal of mutual benefit and prosperity.”

Lai expressed deep gratitude to the Caribbean country for consistently speaking up for Taiwan at international venues over many years, including the United Nations General Assembly, the World Health Assembly, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the International Criminal Police Organization.

“Such actions embody the priceless spirit of true friendship and mutual support. Moving ahead, we look forward to St. Vincent and the Grenadines continuing to support Taiwan’s international participation. This will allow Taiwan to use its expertise to make contributions to the international community and work with like-minded nations to enhance global well-being,” P Lai said.