Taiwan was yesterday making "last-ditch efforts" to ensure that Premier Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) trip to Europe goes ahead despite pressure from China which opposes foreign trips by Taiwanese officials, a report and official said.
The Austrian unit of German electronics giant Siemens had invited Hsieh to attend a ceremony in Vienna on May 31 when the first train built for the Kaohsiung MRT will roll off the assembly line, a Chinese-language newspaper said.
During his low-profile trip, Hsieh had planned to meet with Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel and go on to Germany, the paper said.
"But the Chinese communists have voiced serious concerns after the visit plan was leaked," the paper quoted an unnamed government source as saying.
"The Austrian government in a U-turn said recently it would not issue an entry visa to Hsieh, and the German government also denied Hsieh's entry visa two days ago," the source said.
Cabinet spokesman Cho Rong-tai (
Siemens had promised to invite Hsieh to visit Europe after it won a multi-billion-dollar contract in 2001 to supply key equipment for the MRT in Kaohsiung, the paper said.
"Siemens made the invitation when the premier served as the Kaohsiung mayor," Chuo said.
Hsieh was appointed premier by President Chen Shui-bian (
Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Ling-san (
Cho condemned Beijing for its persistent efforts to squeeze Taiwan in the international arena despite the easing of tensions across the Taiwan Strait following the landmark visit to China late April-early May by Lien Chan (
"But the event indicated that China's alleged `goodwill' remains lip service," he said.
Cho was referring to an agreement between Lien and Chinese President Hu Jintao (
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