Taiwan would not oppose a US plan to post undercover agents in Taiwan to facilitate drug-trafficking investigations, so long as all the arrangements are conducted on an equal footing, judicial sources said yesterday.
Taiwan and the US formally signed a cooperative agreement on criminal investigations and judicial assistance on March 26 in Washington.
According to the sources, Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (
"As long as the proposal is carried out under the principles of equality and parity, the Taiwanese government would not oppose this," Chen was quoted as having said.
The minister said the signing of the agreement marks a significant step forward in substantive relations between Taiwan and the US.
He said that, although the two countries have signed many economic and cultural accords since Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, the US had been reluctant to sign any accord in the judicial field because judicial rights imply recognition of national sovereignty.
Chen also reportedly said that the judicial assistance pact marks a substantial recognition of Taiwan's sovereign status.
During the meeting, he ordered the Ministry of Justice to take all necessary steps to cooperate with the US in drug-trafficking investigations. These investigations will include probes into the origins of seized narcotics and psychotropic substances, as well as controlled deliveries.
"Implementation of these measures may require revisions to our existing laws or new legislation altogether," Chen said, adding that the ministry should make preparations to smooth the way for such changes.
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