A Taiwanese delegation showed up in Grenada last week Thursday, two years after the Keith Mitchell-led New National Party (NNP) government booted out Taipei and re-established diplomatic relations with Mainland China.
According to well-placed sources the visitors were allowed into the country but within hours were picked up by police officials and questioned about the nature of their trip to the island.
A source who asked not to be named said that the Taiwanese were taken into custody minutes before the start of a dinner function with members of the local Grenada-Taiwan Friendship Society headed by Editor of the Grenada Informer newspaper, Carla Briggs.
"I know that the (Taiwanese) delegation were here for a brief visit but none of the members were kicked out of the country as some people believe", said a member of the small Friendship Society between the two countries.
There are unconfirmed reports that the visiting delegation from the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan intended to donate a sum of money to the Friendship Society to help purchase books to be distributed on the island.
The source said that the Taiwanese team included one diplomat who served in Grenada before ties were severed between the two countries after Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
He spoke of an emissary making contact with Grenada's Prime Minister, Dr. Mitchell to set up a meeting with the envoy from the ROC but the request was turned down."Dr. Mitchell told the (name withheld of the media operator) that Grenada was too small and if he met with the man (ROC official) that it would soon get out. He (The Prime Minister) said that he didn't mind if someone else (from government) met with the person but not him", he remarked.
"What happened next is that the police were despatched to pick up the Taiwanese and question them about the motive of the trip to the island. I really can't say if Mitchell was behind the detention of the people", he added.
The source pointed out that the Taiwanese on release did manage to stage the dinner function with some of their supporters in St. George's.
The ROC delegation stayed at a hotel in the south of the island during the brief stay on the island.
Grenada is perhaps the only country to have had its police force detain envoys from both Taiwan and Mainland China for official questioning by the State.
About five years ago, a party of police officers detained and expelled a delegation from Mainland China headed by the Trinidad-based female Ambassador when the Mitchell government was courting Taiwan.
The Chinese delegation was invited to the Spice Isle by then leader of the Opposition Michael Baptiste who was at the head of the Grenada-Mainland China Friendship Society.
China and Taiwan have been engaged in dollar diplomacy in the Eastern Caribbean in recent years.
The Mitchell government moved towards Beijing in the face of an offer from Mainland China to rebuild the island's cricket stadium at queen's Park and to build 2000 houses for locals who suffered as a result of Hurricane Ivan.
Only last week, St. Lucia's new administration of Sir John Compton resumed ties with Taipei forcing Beijing to suspend diplomatic relations between the two countries.
