The Independent Voice of West Indies Cricket

Anthem Gaffe Embarrasses Grenada

Sat, Feb 3, '07

 

Grenada

A diplomatic gaffe marred the inauguration of Grenada's China-financed stadium when the band performed Taiwan's national anthem.

According to the Associated Press, Chinese Ambassador Qian Hongshan and scores of blue-uniformed Chinese laborers who built the new US$40 million Queen's Park stadium as a gift from Beijing were "visibly uncomfortable" as Taiwan's anthem echoed inside the 20,000-seat venue.



Describing it as a blunder, Grenada Prime Minister Keith Mitchell pledged an investigation into how the Royal Grenada Police Band could have prepared the anthem of Taiwan instead of China, which has waged an aggressive campaign in the Caribbean to woo nations away from relationships with its rival.

Since China and Taiwan split in 1949 amid a civil war, Beijing has claimed that Taiwan is a renegade province and should not have diplomatic ties with other countries.

"I am very saddened," Mitchell told the workers and Chinese Embassy staff from Grenada and neighboring Trinidad and Tobago. "This unfortunate error breaks my heart."

Police officials declined to comment except to say they would issue a statement later in the day.

Grenada switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China in 2005, a move that was sharply criticized by the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress.

China paid for the reconstruction of Grenada's stadium, which was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, and some 500 Chinese workers helped rebuild the venue in time to host cricket World Cup matches in April.