Taiwan will donate US$1.1 million in financial aid to help Nicaragua combat poverty, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega Saavedra announced on Sunday when President Chen Shu-bian (陳水扁) arrived on the final leg of his trip to the nation's Central American allies.
Ortega made the announcement during a rally in Matagalpa. Chen is the first foreign president taken to visit the birthplace of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN).
The Sandinistas ruled Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990. In 1984 there were democratic elections in which they won the majority of the votes but they lost power in the 1990 election.
Ortega made his political comeback in elections last November, having led Nicaragua through a revolution and a civil war before being voted out in 1990. He took office again in January.
Ortega had said during his presidential campaign last year that he would switch diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing if elected.
But after his victory in the election and after Chen attended his inauguration in January, Ortega changed his mind and vowed that Nicaragua would maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Recently, however, Ortega expressed the hope that Nicaragua could maintain "good relations with both sides of the Taiwan Strait."
Chen, who arrived on Sunday morning, was greeted with full military honors at the airport. Ortega, who loves cars, drove Chen to Matagalpa in his Mercedez-Benz SUV.
While a rally for the two leaders was scheduled to start at 2:45pm, Chen and Ortega did not arrive until 5pm, leaving supporters and reporters waiting in the rain after baking in the scorching sun.
While Chen and Ortega were enjoying their road trip, the Taiwanese press corps encountered pickpockets and sexual harassment.
Two male TV reporters almost had their wallets stolen and one female TV reporter complained about improper physical contact from a strange man.
Another female reporter, however, was pleased when a man bought her a quesillo, a typical Nicaraguan dish. Literally translated, it means "little cheese."
At the rally, Chen told the crowd of about 5,000 that Nicaragua was the first Central American country he visited after becoming president in 2000. He also announced that Taiwan would donate 660 radios and thermometers to Nicaraguan women.
Calling Ortega his "best friend" and "dear brother," Chen said that they had much in common. Both studied law, served jail terms for their involvement in democratic movements and drove authoritarian regimes out of power.
"It is my hope during this state visit that we can increase the bonds of cooperation between the two countries," said the president, who was accompanied by a large delegation, including business executives.
Ortega asked his Taiwanese counterpart to provide "long-term" investment in his country's agricultural sector.
Ortega joined the Sandinista movement in 1963. He rose rapidly through its ranks and was a leading player in the guerrilla war against dictator Anastasio Somoza. He was imprisoned for seven years.
Ortega revealed that Taiwan would donate US$1.1 million to a hunger fighting program -- "Hambre Cero en Nicaragua" (Zero Hunger in Nicaragua).
In addition to Taiwan, the US$150 million program is sponsored by international organizations such as the UN, the World Bank and the World Food Program. An estimated 75,000 families will benefit from the five-year program.
Under the program, each family will receive property worth US$2,000. They include a pregnant cow, a pregnant sow, five hens, one rooster and construction materials for pig and cow pens.
According to the World Bank, about 46 percent of Nicaraguans live in poverty and 15 percent live in abject poverty.
Saying that free trade with the US was unfair, Ortega told the crowd that he was glad that the trade between Taiwan and Nicaragua was fair because Taiwan engages in long-term investment to help improve his country's economy.
Taiwan-invested textile plants in Nicaragua employ about 30,000 Nicaraguan citizens.
Two-way trade between Taiwan and Nicaragua topped US$46 million in 2005, with textiles, zippers, kitchenware, plastic products and knitwear making up the bulk of Taiwan's exports to Nicaragua, and frozen beef, coffee, scrap metals, timber and cotton fabrics forming the bulk of its imports from the Central American country.
Ortega described the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) signed with the US as "fraud" and encouraged Taiwanese businesses to invest in his country and Central America. He also urged Central American countries to cooperate with each other to create a win-win situation.
Taiwan and Nicaragua signed a FTA in June last year and the Nicaraguan National Assembly approved the pact in December the same year. In addition to the deal with Nicaragua, Taiwan has signed FTAs with Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador, with some pending legislative approval.
Chen's stay in Nicaragua will include a scheduled visit to a hospital that specializes in heart diseases and which faces financial difficulties.
The president is scheduled to wrap up his visit today and head home via Alaska.
Additional reporting by CNA and AFP
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft