Presidential Office spokesman David Lee (
"Please do not interpret this in a negative manner," Lee said. "The United Nations is aggressively pushing for the elimination of poverty and has set levels for aid to foreign countries. We are just doing our job as a responsible member of the global community."
Lee made the remarks in response to media inquiries about a political cartoon in yesterday's edition of La Prensa, a Honduran national daily. The cartoon showed Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales shaking hands with Chen, who is seen holding a bag of money behind his back.
PHOTO: CNA
Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Chen Chi-mai (
Chen Shui-bian on Wednesday witnessed the signing of a US$5 million low interest rate loan at Instituto Central Vicente Caceres (ICVC) in Tegucigalpa. He then attended the inauguration of a computer center at the institute.
ICVC had originally planned to name the center after the president, but Chen-Shui-bian said that it would be more meaningful to name it after Taiwan.
He said that the US$5 million loan would be used to purchase 30,000 computers and build 3,000 computer centers. The project aims to train 15,000 computer teachers and benefit 1 million children and youngsters.
Lee said that the two countries had also signed a memorandum of cooperation last year, with Taiwan agreeing to offer US$1 million each year for four years to help Honduras raise its computer penetration rate and close the digital divide.
With the computer center program, Zelaya said that his country, which has one of the region's lowest rates of computer ownership and computer use, is expected to surge ahead.
Zelaya said he had accomplished the task Chen Shui-bian had entrusted him with, which was finding two plots of land to be provided free of charge to two Taiwanese companies interested in investing in Honduras.
Zelaya said he hoped the president would keep his promise of persuading the two companies to invest.
During interviews with local and international media in the afternoon, Chen Shui-bian said that all the country's aid packages were transparent and open and he believed Honduras has a transparent system that would put the money to good use.
He said he was not worried that Costa Rica's switching recognition to China would cause a domino effect, because Taiwan's diplomatic friendships were built on shared values of freedom and democracy.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, the president was given an emblem of the capital city of Tegucigalpa by Mayor Ricardo Antonio Alvarez at the City Hall.
Chen Shui-bian said at the time he would build a skyscraper higher than Taipei 101 in Tegucigalpa. When questioned by reporters, Lee said Chen was joking.
Before walking to the parliament to deliver a speech, Chen Shui-bian paid his respects to the founding father of Honduras, Francisco Morazan, placing a memorial wreath at a square in front of City Hall. At parliament, Chen Shui-bian was presented with the Gran Cruz Extraordinaria con Placa de Oro, the highest medal conferred by the National Congress, by Congressional Speaker Roberto Micheletti Bain.
loan
Chen Shui-bian thanked Congress for approving Taiwan's US$5 million loan to Honduras on Tuesday and expressed his hope that it would ratify the free-trade agreement signed between the two countries in May.
Acknowledging Bain's interest in running for president, Chen Shui-bian drew laughter when he said he wondered whether the congressional building or City Hall was closer to the presidential office.
Alvarez is also interested in running for president, and Chen Shui-bian had wished him good luck in achieving his dream when he visited City Hall earlier.
Chen Shui-bian received a round of applause when he spoke in Spanish, saying "your home is my home," "Honduras is my home," "Viva Honduras" and "Viva Taiwan."
Meanwhile, in Taiwan, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (
caution
"Many countries in the world criticize our diplomacy as `checkbook diplomacy.' We therefore really need to be careful when we offer foreign aid," he said when approached for comment at a pomelo farm in Yunlin.
Ma, who is in Yunlin as part of his "long stay" program, urged the government to do some careful thinking before promising foreign aid since the nation had been hit by several disasters and needed relief funds.
KMT Legislator Ting Shou-chung (
Additional reporting by Flora Wang
PATROL PARTNERS: The ‘Chiayi’ and the ‘Penghu’ departed for a two-day joint patrol of Palau’s exclusive economic zone, the CGA’s second diplomatic visit to the country The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) set a record for its southernmost deployment of a coast guard vessel as the vessels Chiayi and the Penghu reached Palau’s Pulo Anna Island on Saturday in a cooperative exercise between the two countries. The island, about 217 nautical miles (401km) southwest of Koror in the Palauan state of Sonsorol and 1,220 nautical miles from Taiwan’s southernmost point, Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), is the furthest south a CGA vessel has sailed. The two vessels are in Palau for the coast guard’s second diplomatic visit to the country. They docked at Malakal Harbor on Tuesday last week. The coast guard
BATCH 1: The military has plans to assign the weapons to the army to defend Taiwan proper, as well as outlying islands and the navy for the Marine Corps, the official said Taiwan is to receive 500 Stinger missiles and 178 launchers from the US by the end of the year, the first batch under a planned two-stage acquisition totaling 2,621 missiles and 763 launchers, a defense official said yesterday on condition of anonymity. The portable missiles would play a vital role in the nation’s air defense capabilities, the source said. The army plans to deploy 2,235 missiles and 657 launchers to defend Taiwan proper and outlying islands, they said, citing military documents. The navy is allotted 295 missiles and 85 launchers to arm the Marine Corps and some surface vessels that lack air defense
The European Parliament on Wednesday adopted a recommendation on EU-China political relations that rejected China’s efforts to restrict Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and exchanges. The recommendation, addressed to the European Council, the European Commission and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, includes several references to EU-Taiwan relations and expresses support for closer ties, saying they would bring positive benefits and have strategic importance. Describing Taiwan as a valuable partner in trade and technology, the European Parliament said it “rejects China’s attempts to coerce international organizations, third countries and other actors into restricting Taiwan’s international participation and
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday arrived in San Francisco, receiving a warm welcome from hundreds of overseas Taiwanese as she launched a week-long visit. Accompanied by Representative to the US Alexander Yui (俞大?), and head of Taiwan’s San Francisco office Wu Chih-hsiang (伍志翔), Tsai arrived at her hotel, waving, smiling and giving high-fives to Taiwanese compatriots amid cheers of “Taiwan’s democracy involves you and me” to welcome her to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is Tsai’s first visit to the US since she left office in May 2024 after serving two four-year terms as president. Tsai is today to deliver
RSS