Taiwan's Minister of Foreign Affairs-designate Tien Hung-mao (田弘茂) said yesterday that the new government will push to improve relations between Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries while continuing foreign aid to existing diplomatic allies.
"We should adopt more aggressive, flexible and broad-based foreign policies ... to win the friendship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)," Tien said.
Taiwan's exclusion from formal and informal organizations in the Asia-Pacific region heightens risks in the region's security, which "is not only a loss for Taiwan, but also a loss for all countries in the area," Tien said.
In lieu of formal diplomatic ties with ASEAN countries, Tien said the new government will strengthen "track two" or even "track three" diplomacy to push for multilateral dialogue and promote a "positive atmosphere."
Since Taiwan launched its "go south" policy to promote investment and trade with ASEAN countries in 1994, bilateral commercial exchanges between Taiwan and the region have risen to over US$45 billion.
Assistance from ASEAN countries to push for the joint entry of Taiwan and China into the WTO will greatly contribute to regional security and economic cooperation, Tien said.
"Taiwan is geographically close to Southeast Asia, and the new government should a adopt a `good neighbor' policy to expand dialogue and cooperation with ASEAN countries," Tien said.
He also suggested using the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to let the US, Japanese, Canadian, Australian, and ASEAN governments understand better how the country has been isolated diplomatically by China.
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