A diplomatic cable released last week by WikiLeaks shows that former ambassador to Panama Thomas Hou (侯平福), who is now deputy foreign minister, failed to obtain crucial information about “secret” China-Panama talks in early 2006 that led to a “medium-term” plan by the Panamanian government to switch diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.
Released on Saturday, the cable, dated Feb. 21, 2006, from the US embassy in Panama, provided information about the talks in Madrid attended by upper echelons in former Panamanian president Martin Torrijos’ administration and the Chinese government on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15, 2006.
The cable covers Panamanian presidential advisor Jorge Ritter as he details his country’s plan to recognize China to Luis Arreaga, then the deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Panama, and seeking US opinions for what he termed a “medium-term” project.
Arreaga said in the cable that Ritter confirmed with him on Feb. 20, 2006, that he had taken part in the Madrid talks, while the US also confirmed that then Panamanian first vice president (VP) and foreign minister (FM) Samuel Lewis Navarro headed the Panamanian government (GOP) delegation as media reported on Feb. 21, 2006.
The cable showed the US embassy held a meeting with Hou on Feb. 16, finding that he was aware of the China-Panama talks, but “failed to identify VP/FM Samuel Lewis as leading the GOP delegation.”
The Chinese official at the Madrid talks was an unnamed deputy foreign minister with “about 10 years experiences in the US,” Arreaga said in the cable.
Relations between Taiwan and Panama cooled visibly after Torrijos assumed office on Sept. 1, 2004.
The cable shows that the US embassy was told by Hou that Taiwan’s relationship with Panama “still is on hold” and that Hou “has met with President Torrijos rarely,” but more frequently with Lewis.
Hou typically met Lewis at his private office to avoid the “prying” eyes of foreign ministry functionaries, particularly Daro Chir, who opened Panama’s commercial development office in Beijing some years ago and is known to favor China over Taiwan, the cable says.
During the meeting with the US, Hou said the Madrid meeting continued talks about Panamanian diplomatic recognition of China, which had ended unsuccessfully in the summer of 2005.
“For the Panamanians, it is a matter of money,” Hou was quoted as saying, adding that the offer before the Panamanians was US$150 million in development assistance, investments and purchase of agricultural exports, principally bananas.
The cable shows the role the US plays in Panama’s decision on whether to switch from Taiwan to China, as the issue was brought up at meetings between Lewis and then-US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and between Torrijos and then-US president George W. Bush.
Another cable released on Aug. 12, 2005, also by Arreaga, then charge d’affaires at the embassy, showed that Taiwan tended to look more to the US diplomats for support and encouragement as the relationships between Taiwan and Panama deteriorated during the previous 12 months.
It said that Hou’s prediction on April 19, 2005, was largely correct that the meeting between Bush and Torrijos would determine whether Panama would change its diplomatic relations in favor of China, though the US embassy’s source disagreed with Hou about the timing.
Hou said the timing of the purported change in relations was unclear, but it would probably follow a referendum related to the Panama Canal in 2006.
The US sources within the Panamanian government showed that Torrijos concluded from his meeting with Bush that the US would not object to Panamanian recognition of China and that if it happened, Panama would wait until after the passage of the US-Panama free trade agreement so as not to complicate matters with US Congress, perhaps by the end of 2005.
Asked for comment yesterday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman James Chang (章計平) said the ministry had no comment on the cables after he had brought up the matter with Hou.
“We do not comment on the content of US cables,” Chang said.
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