Panama's foreign minister Jose Miguel Aleman arrives in Taiwan today for a six-day visit.
His visit comes in the midst of Taiwan's cabinet reshuffle, where foreign minister designate Chen Chien-jen (程建?H) is scheduled to formally take over for Jason Hu (-J志強), the outgoing foreign minister and KMT campaign manager, next Tuesday.
Chen, who is fluent in Spanish, is to meet with Aleman during his stay here.
Aleman's trip follows Hu's visit to Panama last month, where he said high-level Panamanian officials assured him that ties with Taiwan remain firm.
A series of visits by Panamanian officials to China in recent months have fueled speculation that Panama is considering switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing.
China had previously stated that it planned to filch two of Taiwan's diplomatic allies in the Central America region before Oct. 1 this year -- the 50th anniversary of Communist Party rule in China.
With almost half of its 29 formal allies in Central America and the Caribbean, the region is an important diplomatic foothold for Taiwan.
For years, it has been the arena for a continual diplomatic tug-of-war between Taiwan and China.
Panama seems to have tipped the diplomatic balance by inviting Taiwan's ambassador to Panama, Lan Chih-ming (藍智民), to the handover of the Panama Canal next month while leaving China's unofficial trade representative in Panama in the cold.
Leaders from member countries of the Organization of American States, along with delegations from Japan, France, Egypt and Spain, will also attend.
However, Taiwan is concerned that China will gain preponderant influence over Panama through the chairman of Hutchison Whampoa, Li Ka-shing (李1顫?.
Li's Hong Kong-based conglomerate will take control of the waterway, paying the Panamanian government US$22.2 million per year for the next 20 years.
Taiwan and the US have become increasingly concerned that China could gain control of the strategically important canal, as Li is known to maintain close ties with Beijing leaders.
However, Taiwan too has commercial weight in Panama, with Taiwan's Evergreen Group having strong business interests operating warehouses and ports on the canal.
The group recently invested US$100 million in a harbor construction project and, along with a nearly completed housing project, is also planning to venture into the restaurant business there.
Chang Yung-fa (張榮發), the company's founder, has close ties with Panama president Mireya Moscoso and has been invited to attend the canal handover on Dec. 14, reported the Central News Agency yesterday.
Aleman will meet with Chang, along with president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), economic minister Wang Chih-kang (
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
RSS