Concluding his 10-day state visit to Africa, President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen was on an official tour to four of the the country's diplomatic allies: Senegal, Sao Tome and Principe, Malawi and Swaziland.
He returns today from the trip, for which he departed on July 1.
Right before his departure from Swaziland on Monday, the president sat down for an informal chat with reporters about his discussions with his African counterparts.
Chen said that the talks were dominated by the topics of cross-strait relations and how to lobby for Taiwan's participation in the international community.
Chen said Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, for example, has been asked by many people why Senegal has not switched its diplomatic ties to China.
"He gave me his analysis on what both Taiwan and China could offer to his country," Chen said.
"He said that China could only build Senegal stadiums, a presidential office or a `Great Hall of the People' for Senegal," Chen said.
"But he told me what Taiwan offers to Senegal are not physical things, but rather wisdom, which meets people's needs as if we are teaching them how to fish, rather than giving them fish," Chen said.
In Sao Tome and Principe, Chen said that the nation's president, Fradique de Menezes, said that Sao Tome and Principe will continue to assist Taiwan in its efforts to join international organizations such as the UN, the WTO and the WHO.
"But he couldn't understand why Taiwan is sometimes named the `ROC', sometimes `Taiwan' or even sometimes is called `Taiwan, Penghu, Kimen and Matsu.' He couldn't distinguish the difference," Chen said.
Taiwan joined the WTO under the name of "Custom Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu" and is bidding for participation in the WHO as "Health Entity of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu."
As for his meetings with Malawi President Bakili Muluzi, Chen praised the leader as one of Taiwan's best spokespeople.
"President Muluzi understands the Hong Kong situation very well. He said, given that China's territory is already so huge, it's unthinkable that China is still aiming to swallow Taiwan after having taken over Hong Kong and Macau. He is very supportive and sympathetic," Chen said.
According to Chen, Muluzi encouraged Taiwan to stand firm on its principles.
Chen also referred to King of Swaziland, Mswati the Third, as a born supporter of the ROC.
"The King told me that it's his fate to be a supporter of the ROC, because he has to follow the will of his father, who was a faithful friend of Taiwan in his life.
"So, the King has known about the existence of Taiwan since his childhood," Chen said.
Swaziland has had diplomatic ties with Taiwan since 1968.
Chen's delegation is scheduled to arrive at CKS International Airport at 11am today.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique