One Year On: Foreign Affairs - In foreign affairs, achievements and frustration

Taipei Times: What would you cite as the major achievement during the past year in implementing Chen Shui-bian's foreign policy initiatives, and what are the areas that require further effort?

Tien Hung-mao (田弘茂): Since taking office as Taiwan's minister of foreign affairs, I have stressed continuity and stability in our foreign policy, as was repeatedly emphasized by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). The three main directions of our foreign policy have always been, and still are, to consolidate official relations with our diplomatic allies, to strengthen bilateral relations with nations that have no formal ties with Taiwan, and to seek to join international organizations. Moreover, I have urged everyone in Taiwan to do his or her share and take part in diplomatic activities under our principle of "people's diplomacy."

During the past year, we successfully arranged President Chen's state visit to six nations in Central America and Africa. We made considerable breakthroughs in bilateral relations with many nations, including the forthcoming mutual establishment of representative offices between Egypt and Taiwan.

The US government has further given us a number of positive signs, both in words and actions, such as the recent announcement of significant arms sales to Taiwan and the loosening of restrictions on President Chen's transits through the US. We have also completed the drafting of the "International Cooperation and Development Law," under which from this year on we will send young men with professional backgrounds in agricultural engineering or health care to help people in developing countries as an alternative to military service.

In the future, we will continue to seek to establish formal diplomatic ties with more nations, and to improve bilateral relations with nations that have no formal ties with Taiwan, especially the US, Japan and the EU. We will continue with our efforts to gain membership in the UN, WTO and WHO, and strive to encourage "people's diplomacy" so as to inspire all the people of Taiwan to care more about and participate in our diplomatic activities.

TT: Despite the administration's ambition to promote so-called "democracy diplomacy" and "human rights diplomacy," some of Taiwan's allies have less-than-satisfactory human rights records. How would you explain this irony?

Tien: Many observers, especially here in Taiwan, tend to belittle the accomplishments of our formal diplomatic allies. However, according to the Freedom in the World: 2000-2001 report released by Freedom House, half of the countries that recognize us were categorized as "free" and only 10 percent were labeled as "not free," while 45 percent of all the countries in the world were labeled as "free" and 25 percent were identified as "not free."

Although most of our allies are not as wealthy as Taiwan, they too have made great strides in the promotion and protection of human rights in their own countries. Like Taiwan, many of our allies have also been active participants in the "Third Wave" of democracy, and we are all moving forward together. And as we are doing so, it is appropriate that we frequently talk with each other and share experiences. There is much we can learn from each other.

TT: What's your view on Taiwan's alleged practice of so-called "dollar diplomacy" which has drawn so much criticism in the past?