Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre arrived in Taiwan Monday for a state visit - his first as Saint Lucia's head of government, looking forward to strengthening ties between Castries and Taipei. As reported by Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA), Pierre told local media that Saint Lucia and Taiwan had been longtime friends. The Republic of China (Taiwan) and Saint Lucia established diplomatic relations in 1984. But in 1997, Saint Lucia switched recognition from Taipei to Beijing. However, in April 2007, Taiwan and Saint Lucia reestablished diplomatic relations, and Beijing severed its formal ties with Castries. 'We respect each other's freedoms
