Lu's US stopover remains in doubt

Despite uncertainty as to where she will stop over in the US, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) will embark on a tour to four of Taiwan's diplomatic allies in Central America starting Sept. 24, the Presidential Office announced yesterday.

Lu will visit El Salvador, Honduras, Belize and Guatemala and will return to Taiwan on Oct. 1, said Eugene Chien (簡又新), Deputy Secretary General of the Presidential Office.

Lu will hold talks with women's groups, accept an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Technology of Central America in Honduras, deliver speeches at universities as well as visit Mayan cultural relics, Chien said.

Lu's trip is a follow-up to President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) tour of six diplomatic allies including the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Gambia, Burkina Faso and Chad.

But Lu's scheduled visit has been clouded by US authorities' refusal to allow Lu to stop over in New York City, according to reports yesterday. The US State Department refused Lu's request on the grounds that the UN General Assembly will still be in session in New York.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said the presidential office had authorized MOFA to handle related negotiations with the US and that the overall issue remained pending.

"The issue is not yet finalized. I refuse to use the term `refusal' to describe the US stance. We are still consulting with the US to arrange Lu's transit," said Andrew Chang (張雲屏), MOFA's vice spokesman.

MOFA chose New York City as a preferable site for Lu's transit in the US for the sake of geographical proximity as well as the precedent set by former Vice President Lien Chan (連戰) who made several stopovers there during his previous trips to Taiwan's diplomatic allies.

China has been wooing Taiwan's 29 diplomatic allies to drop Taipei and recognize Beijing.

Beijing's latest move was to invite the foreign ministers of five Taiwan allies to breakfast on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.