Taipei will not change its current basic foreign policy no matter who is elected as Taiwan's next president in March 2000, Foreign Affairs Minister Chen Chien-jen (
Speaking at a year-end news conference, Chen said the government's present foreign policy, arrived at after many adjustments since 1949, is the best one for Taiwan's people.
Turning to speculation that President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) may visit Japan in October next year after stepping down from his current post, Chen said the president will be a private citizen by then and will be able to choose on his own where he wants to go.
However, he added that his ministry will advise Lee -- based on the principle of national interest -- on the sensitive nature of his position as the nation's former head of state.
Commenting on Taiwan's prospects for joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), Chen expressed the belief that Taiwan will be granted membership in the world trade regulatory body soon after China gains entry, noting that China already reached a bilateral agreement on its WTO membership with the US on Nov. 15.
The foreign minister also stressed that his ministry will further step up its efforts to take part in non-governmental activities in the international community. Currently, Taiwan is a member of 962 non-governmental organizations, he noted.
Looking back over the past year, Chen pointed to the forging of diplomatic ties with Macedonia in January and the establishment of such links with Palau just 24 hours ago as a demonstration that Taiwan is still willing to set up formal relations with friendly countries around the world.
Taiwan also briefly held official ties with Papua New Guinea (PNG), but the deal quickly fell through after a subsequent change of government, in a debacle that left the foreign ministry deeply embarrassed.
Regarding the resumption of aviation talks with South Korea and the Philippines, the foreign minister emphasized that Taipei will reopen such talks with Seoul and Manila, respectively, as long as the negotiations are mutually-beneficial and reciprocal.
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Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique