Was NNP duped by Keppel Foundation?
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- Parent Category: Dec 2011
- Category: Week ending Dec 03rd, 2011
- Published on Monday, 19 December 2011 16:03
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Further evidence has surfaced in Grenada that the former Keith Mitchell-led New National Partty (NNP) government was depending on the little known Keppel Foundation to help in the formulation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as part of the move to Mainland China.
THE NEW TODAY has obtained the copy of a draft MOU that was lodged in the Office of Richardson Andrews, the Special Advisor to Prime Minister Mitchell.
The document spelt out in details the millions that Grenada was expected to receive from Beijing after the NNP regime would have dumped the Republic of China on Taiwan and recognise the Chinese on the Mainland.
Prime Minister Mitchell had alluded to the MOU in a letter dated December 3, 2004 that he had sent to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, Li Zhao Xing via the Keppel Foundation Office in England.
The letter read in part: “The Government and People of Grenada present compliments to the Government and People of the People’s Republic of China, and to you, Excellency, and extend our gratitude to your Excellency for the kind and gracious invitation to visit the People’s Republic of China.
“I am now able to confirm to your Excellency that my Government has formally accepted the invitation extended to us through the Keppel Foundation, and to advise you that I will undertake the visit from 11th December to 16th December 2004.
“The Government of Grenada is pleased with the progress made towards the normalization of relations between our two countries and look forward to the culmination of that process.
“We are particularly pleased with the progress made in the preparation of the Memorandum of Understanding. Working with the Keppel Foundation, we have successfully completed our consideration of the MOU. It is now submitted for your consideration, and we seek your indication as to whether the conditions therein are workable”.
As a public service, the NEW TODAY reproduces in full the draft MOU that was lodged in the Office of the Prime Minister at the Botanical Gardens:
Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Grenada and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on Normalisation of Relations between the two countries
( ) of Grenada and ( ) of the People’s Republic of China exchanged views, on (date) 2004, on further developing the relations between the two countries and reached the following consensus:
1. The two sides agreed that normalization of relations between the two countries conforms to the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples, and are ready to make concerted efforts for the early realisation of this objective;
2. The Government of Grenada and the Government of the People’s Republic of China acknowledge that the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence are the fundamental principles for developing relations between the two countries;
3. The Government of Grenada recognises that there is but one China in the world; that the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China; and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. The Chinese Government supports the Government of Grenada in its lofty cause of maintaining national independence and state sovereignty and developing its national economy;
4. After the establishment of diplomatic relations, the Chinese Government shall begin economic and technical cooperation between the two countries concerning the following projects to the interest of the Government of Grenada within the time periods specified:
*Upon the joint announcement of the normalisation of bilateral relations between the two countries:
+ Provision of funds of US$5 million to be paid into the treasury of the Grenada Government instantly, part of which will be used to repay the loans from Taiwan and to finish the community-based projects originally funded by Taiwan;
+ Upon Grenada’s closing down and vacating the Taiwanese “embassy” in Grenada and the Grenada diplomatic/consular offices in Taiwan;
- Provision of funds of US$10 million to be paid into the treasury of the Grenada Government instantly, part of which will be used to repay the loans from Taiwan and to finish the community based projects originally funded by Taiwan;
-Provision of gratuitous aid of US$1 million to meet all the costs related to the establishment and the first year operation of the embassy of Grenada in China; and
-Provision of gratuitous aid of US$40 million for the redevelopment of the Grenada National Stadium Complex, both Cricket and Athletics, to be mobilised by China expeditiously and to be completed in the year of 2006.
*Upon the arrivals of the Chinese and Grenadian ambassador designates in St. George’s and Beijing respectively:
- Provision of funds of US$10 million to be paid into the treasury of the Grenada Government instantly, in order to assist the Grenada government in meeting its immediate financial needs;
* Upon the official openings of Chinese and Grenadian embassies in St George’s and Beijing respectively;
- Provision of funds of US$15 million to be paid into the treasury of the Grenada Government instantly, in order to assist the Grenada Government in meeting its immediate financial needs;
*At the conclusion of the first year of the economic and technical cooperation between the two countries;
- Provision of funds of US$10 million to be paid into the treasury of the Grenada Government instantly, in order to assist the Grenada Government in meeting its immediate financial needs;
* Thereafter
- For the four years to follow, provision of gratuitous aid of US$7.75 million per year for technical cooperation or project support as agreed by the two governments, which shall include US$5 million per year for mutually agreed infrastructural development projects to be mobilised by China in the interests of Grenada: US$1 million per year as scholarship for Grenadian students; and US$0.25 million per year to help maintain the continued operation of the embassy of Grenada in China.
5. The above gratuitous aid, amounted to a total of US$122 million in monetary value, will be provided by the Government of the People’s Republic of China to the Government of Grenada over a time period of 5 years ( . );
6. The economic and technical cooperation agreement between the People’s Republic of China and Grenada will be renewed every five years, subject to review and revision. The agreement will give particular focus to the restoration and reconstruction needs of Grenada, to institutional strengthening and development, and to training and development of human resources; and
7. The Government of Grenada pledges that, after the establishment of diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, it will sever its “diplomatic relations” with Taiwan immediately, close down and vacate the Taiwanese “embassy” in Grenada and the Grenada diplomatic/consular offices in Taiwan within one month, and will have no official relations of any form with Taiwan thereafter. The Government of the People’s Republic of China does not challenge non-official economic, trade and cultural relations between Grenada and Taiwan.
Done in duplicate at Beijing on (date) 2004 in the English and Chinese languages, both texts being equally authentic.
For the Government of the People’s Republic of China ( )
For the Government of Grenada ( )
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