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President pays a surprise visit to Fiji

President Chen Shui-bian, center, wears traditional Fijian ceremonial dress during a gathering with local dignitaries yesterday. Chen was transiting in Fiji as part of his tour of Taiwan's Pacific allies. PHOTO: CNA

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) surprised many people yesterday when he flew to Nadi, the biggest city on the west shore of Fiji, for a stopover on his return home from Kiribati.

Chen's visit to Nadi was labeled a `transit' stop by officials of both countries, which do not have diplomatic relations.

Chen is the first Taiwanese president to set foot in Fiji since the country became independent from the UK in 1970.

Chen was welcomed at the airport by overseas Taiwanese and Fijian people holding the national flags of both countries. The Fijian government provided a police and secret service escort for Chen's trip from the airport to his hotel.

According to his official schedule, Chen and his delegation were supposed to leave Tarawa, Kiribati yesterday, for an overnight transit stop in Guam.

However, late Tuesday night, officials from the Presidential Office told reporters in confidence that the delegation would be flying to Fiji, not Guam. Due to political concerns, they asked the press not to release the news until the president's aircraft had landed in Fiji.

When Chen's plane arrived at Nadi's international airport, Ratu (tribal chief) Ovini Bokini, the most respected civic leader in Fiji, was on hand to greet him.

Bokini holds the traditional title of Turaga na Tul Tavua, or the traditional head of the Vanua of Tavua. He is also the chairman of the Ba Provincial Council and chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs.

Fijian Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase later arrived at the Sheraton Hotel, where Chen and his delegation were staying, to say hello.

The Fijian government held a "almost-state-level banquet" for Chen at the Sheraton, while Bokini hosted a traditional welcoming ceremony in honor of Chen's stopover.

Neither Bokini nor Qarase made any public comments about Chen's visit.

"Fiji is the most powerful country of the Pacific islands. It really means something that our president set foot onto its soil," an anonymous source from the Presidential Office said.

Alex Tu (涂勝進), managing director of the private Orient Pacific Trading Co, who used to be director of the Fiji Trade and Tourism Representative Office in Taipei, told Taipei Times that the Fijian government is trying to stay neutral regarding its relationships with Taiwan and China.

"The local evening news reported that President Chen was visiting Nadi today, while Taiwanese officials were trying to keep the visit low-profile to avoid unnecessary diplomatic problems until the president's aircraft arrived," Tu said.

According to Yu, the news reports said that Chen's visit would be a challenge for Fijian diplomacy.

Tu said that Chen had planned a trip to Fiji back in January but it was called off after details of the visit were leaked and the Chinese government sent a 200-member delegation to visit the Pacific nation.

Chen has often remarked that the first character of his first name is "water" so he always brings along a lot of water wherever he goes. This was proven true yesterday as a downpour hit the Nadi area as Chen and his delegation arrived.

Ranjan Reddy, who said he was head of Fiji's "Facility Service for Taiwan VIP Delegation" told the Taipei Times that it had not rained in the region for almost a month. Reddy is actually a high-ranking law-enforcement officer, but he wished to keep his official title out of the news.

Taiwan has maintained close relations with Fiji since 1971 when it established the "Trade Mission of the Republic of China," which acts as an embassy. The mission's office in Suva is the nation's only diplomatic office in a non-diplomatic ally that uses the country 's official name. The current representative to Fiji is Kuo Shih-nan (郭時南).

Fiji established diplomatic relations with China on Nov. 5, 1975.

Also see story:
President Chen makes day-long stop in Tuvalu
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