President Chen Shui-bian (
Yesterday, Chen began the second day of his unscheduled stay in the UAE. Chen was taken into downtown Abu Dhabi to see people's daily lives, and later took a helicopter to Dubai.
In Dubai, where the Commercial Office of the Republic of China is located, Chen met with members of UAE's royal family.
At a press conference held on Friday evening, Chen talked about Taiwan's diplomatic difficulties and its relations with the UAE.
Chen said that his smooth stay in the UAE showed that China's relentless interference sometimes does not work.
"My arrival in Abu Dhabi was not an unreachable dream like those described in the Arabian Nights. It's definitely a breakthrough," Chen said.
Chen said he was touched when he saw that the national flag had been raised at the airport, in a country with no diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Chen also rebutted media reports that he had lied when he said he was going to stop over in San Francisco; adding that, "Even if it was a lie, it was one of goodwill."
Chen was originally scheduled to make a transit stop in San Francisco on his way back to Taiwan.
Saying that he had not lied to the media or the public, the president added that he hoped the media could understand that, as head of state, he had not been able to confirm any information when matters related to his transit stopover the UAE were still being arranged.
The president added that he did not care about the reports because he had acted in the nation's interest, and that achieving a diplomatic goal was most important.
Chen's trip to the UAE might lead to the establishment of a Taiwan representative office in Abu Dhabi in the near future.
The idea was brought to UAE government years ago and received the green light in January 2000. However, because of China's interference it has remained stalled.
On Friday, several government officials flew from Taipei to Abu Dhabi to meet the president, including Parris Chang (
Taiwan exports US$1.07 billion worth of products to the UAE annually, and imports products valued at US$1.32 billion, with crude oil accounting for US$ 1.14 billion.
Both sides are interested in launching more collaborative projects in oil production, tourism promotion, technology transfer and the military sector.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen (陳唐山) implied that tensions in the Middle East made the UAE and Taiwan potential partners in the global anti-terrorism movement.
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Chairman Shu Chin-chiang (
Shu is part of the entourage traveling with Chen.
"As long as we treasure our advantages, diplomatic space can be definitely widened," Su said.
Chen's chartered plane will arrive in Taipei this morning if the weather is not too severely affected by Typhoon Longwang, which is expected to make landfall today.
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