Ties with Panama 'good': Huang

President Chen Shui-bian, left, shakes hands with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez while Honduran President Manuel Zelaya looks on during the inauguration ceremony for Guatemala's new President, Alvaro Colom, in Guatemala City on Monday. PHOTO: AFP

Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (黃志芳) said yesterday that relations with Panama remained stable, amid speculation that Panama would follow Malawi and recognize China.

"It seems the relationship with Panama is good," Huang said.

Panama, which has close business relations with China, has long been rumored to be considering the switch. Last month, Huang traveled to Panama, the Dominican Republic and Haiti to strengthen diplomatic ties.

The Panamanian government said that bilateral relations remained solid while business relations with China would remain normal.

Huang, who is traveling with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) on his five-day visit to Central America and the Caribbean, said in Guatemala that the ministry was in control and had not been caught off-guard when Malawi announced it was establishing official relations with Beijing.

During an interview with the Associated Press in Guatemala, Chen said he did not oppose Taiwanese allies establishing trade offices in China.

Chen he was confident Taiwan's 23 remaining diplomatic allies would not switch recognition to China and that diplomatic relations would not be affected if they opened trade offices in Beijing while maintaining diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

"You don't need an embassy to do business in China," he said. "All you need is a trade office."

In Taipei, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) renewed her criticism of Cabinet officials, saying that no foreign minister had ever been held responsible for the loss of nine diplomatic allies over the past eight years.

Lu she was not targeting any particular individual, but that it would make sense for somebody to be held responsible.

Lu the remarks during an interview with TVBS on Monday night.

Taiwan lost three diplomatic allies -- Chad, Costa Rica and Malawi -- during Huang's term.

Meanwhile, Government Information Office (GIO) Minister Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉), who is also traveling with Chen, said yesterday he had considered resigning following the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) defeat in Saturday's legislative elections.

He said he decided against it, however, because he did not want his resignation to attract media attention and that the matter would "clear itself up" after he returned from the trip.

During an interview with Sanlih Television on Sunday night, Lu said it would be a good idea to adjust the Cabinet lineup and replace some "controversial" officials, without naming names.

Some outlets have speculated that Lu was referring to Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng (杜正勝), the ministry's secretary-general, Chuang Kuo-jung (莊國榮) as well as Minister Shieh.

Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) said on Monday that Tu and Shieh should be held partly responsible for the election defeat.

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