President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) wrapped up a summit with the leaders of seven Central Ameri-can countries yesterday by calling on the international community to recognize Taiwan's sovereignty and its equal status with China.
Referring to his "two-states" declaration on July 9, Lee said he was "trying to clarify and underline the long-existing fact that the Republic of China is a sovereign state."
"This argument about an existing fact reflects that the ROC's mainland policy remains unchanged," he said.
"With the four principles of pragmatism, parity, progress and peace, we will actively promote positive interaction across the Strait."
Lee urged China to face reality with reason and called on all allies in the international community to support Taiwan's "pragmatic position."
Six of Taiwan's diplomatic allies attended the Second ROC and Central America Summit in their official capacity.
They were Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Belize.
A seventh, the Dominican Republic, participated as an observer.
The conference ended with the government leaders signing a joint communique validating the island's sovereignty and pledging support for Taiwan's entry into international organizations.
In diplomatic fashion, heads of state attending the conference expressed their expectation of growing international support for Taiwan.
Nicaraguan President Arnoldo Aleman said his country is a staunch supporter of Taiwan's participation in the international community, especially its bid to re-enter the UN.
El Salvadoran President Francisco Flores expressed his thanks for the assistance Taiwan has given to the entire Central America region.
"The ROC has offered steady support and assistance, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch. We are indebted to the ROC," Flores said.
"We are lucky to have the ROC as a friend and we welcome investors to invest in our country and we will export products to your country," he added.
During his meeting with the regional leaders, President Lee expressed Taiwan's interest in joining the Central American Integration System under an observer status.
The system is a regional inter-governmental organization consisting of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Belize.
The organization has observer status in the UN.
Honduran President Carlos Roberto Flores Facusse apparently voiced strong support for Taiwan's bid to join the system during a meeting with Lee yesterday.
Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador are among the 12 countries this year who presented a proposal to the UN, requesting that its secretariat form a working group to review Taiwan's "special international situation."
Aside from the usual declarations of support for Taiwan's participation in the international organizations, little else came out of the summit.
No economic agreements or other pledges of financial aid to the region were announced.
In the First ROC and Central America Summit held in El Salvador two years ago, Taiwan pledged to contribute US$240 million to a US$300 million revolving loan fund for the region over the next 12 years.
"The summit is meant to elevate the level of cooperation between Taiwan and our allies in the region, so in the future, we will have something more concrete on the table," said a foreign ministry official who declined to be named.
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