Panamanian foreign minister Jose Miguel Aleman, here on a six-day visit that ended yesterday, spoke on Sunday with staff reporter Catherine Sung about Panama-Taiwan relations. In the second part of the interview, Aleman discusses the upcoming handover of the Panama Canal to Panama's sovereignty.
Taipei Times: What is the significance of the return of the Panama Canal to your country's sovereignty?
Aleman: The Panama Canal Treaty, signed in 1977, stipulates that the Canal is to be returned to Panama by Dec. 31, 1999. This is a very proud moment in our history, because ever since 1903, the Panamanians have said that no section of our territory should be in the hands of another country, and that the treaty was signed during a moment of historical weakness. That is a situation that must be corrected.
TT: Members of the US Congress have expressed concerns that after the handover of the Canal, the strategic waterway will be controlled by the Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchinson Whampoa, which may give China influence over the operation of the Canal.
Aleman: No, this is not correct. Hutchinson Whampoa, which operates ports in Hong Kong, England, the Bahamas and the US, will not administer the Canal. What they will administer are the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, which are privatized. We have three private ports in Panama with one operated by Hutchinson Whampoa, a Chinese company listed on the London Stock Exchange. The others are operated by a privately-run Taiwan company, Evergreen, and a US company.
The Canal will be operated by the Panama Canal Authority as of Jan. 1, which is a Panamanian government agency. It is not operated by a foreign company.
This is a wonderful opportunity for us, because it will allow areas adjacent to the Canal to be developed for other interests such as tourism, shipyards, private ports, bunkering for vessels, and commercial activities complimentary to the Canal's activities.
These areas were never developed under the US administration of the waterway because Washington did not have an interest in commercial development They only had a strategic interest in operating the Canal. They viewed the Canal firstly as a military interest (as it was under the jurisdiction of the US Senate Armed Services Committee) and secondly as a commercial interest.
TT: If the ports of Balboa and Cristobal are located at the two ends of the Canal, then, when ships pass through the Canal, who has the authority to prioritize passage?
Aleman: The Panama Canal Authority. This has nothing to do with the operation of the ports. However, there are certain political elements in the US that have been leading a campaign against the transfer of the Canal, and they have been using lies and misrepresentation to mislead the public and international opinion. What they are saying is not factually true.
TT: Have you had a chance to promote the Canal's commercial opportunities on your trip here?
Aleman: Yes, this is part of the visit. We have the Fort David Export Processing Zone, where some Taiwanese companies are located. And we are trying to promote Panama as a center for agricultural exports into the US market.
We have visited orchid and citrus plantations here, and we hope to lead a commercial mission to Taiwan for Panamanian businessmen looking for export opportunities to Taiwan. We're also looking for joint ventures with Taiwanese venture capital firms who might be interested in investing in Panama for export purposes.
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