An article appearing in international press outlets says that Taiwan’s
state owned oil company Chinese Petroleum Corporation will be signing an oil
exploration agreement with Belize. The report says the exploration block covers
4,800 square kilometres in Belize’s waters. Reports quote Taiwan’s
Ambassador to Belize Joseph Shih as saying at a press conference in Taiwan as
saying that Belize is the Kuwait of Central America. The release goes unto say
that the agreement will be signed next week. That’s 1,900 square miles,
so why hasn’t any public disclosure been made? We asked the Prime Minister
what’s up with the big plans but little local news.
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
“There is as I understand it already in existence a permit for the
government of Taiwan through I believe it is a state company to do offshore
exploration but that’s not news. That’s not anything novel, that
has been in place for some time.”
Keith Swift,
It was signed by the previous government?
Hon. Dean Barrow,
“I believe so because I believe this was signed a time when they did
all those concessions, some of which you know were extremely controversial,
but I don’t believe this to be anything new.”
Keith Swift,
So nothing will be signed next week?
Hon. Dean Barrow,
“Not as far as I know. The Taiwanese have been saying to us that they’re
ready to go. Maybe what is happening is that the actual physical activity is
about to commence but we’ve known for a while that they have their license
and are prepared to do offshore exploration which is welcome because not too
many private sector companies want to do offshore drilling.”
International press reports say that the agreement will take Belize
Taiwan relations to a, quote, “a new level.”
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