President Chen Shui-bian (
However, a senior DPP legislator who is part of a delegation of lawmakers visiting the US said the president was not pushing for a Washington stopover any time soon because the political climate was not suited for such as visit.
In the latest edition of the president's electronic newsletter, Chen said that many readers had written letters to ask him about whether he was planning further diplomatic trips abroad.
"Absolutely I will go abroad to visit our allies again to expand our country's diplomatic space," the president said.
"We will offer more humanitarian assistance to the world to allow Taiwan to participate on a broader stage in the international community. And I hope to receive support and encouragement from all overseas Taiwanese and people in this country," he said.
The government's foreign policies have gone through a rough patch recently.
Chen returned from a 10-day visit to allies in Africa earlier this month to a barrage of criticism.
The opposition blasted the president for his diplomatic trips, which they said were a waste of money, and threatened to block any further money for his overseas travel.
And the country suffered a setback on Wednesday when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it was cutting its 22-year-old diplomatic ties with Nauru, a tiny Pacific island state which decided to establish relations with China.
Nevertheless, Chen said he was eager to promote Taiwan abroad with the help of Taiwanese living overseas.
"I was impressed and moved during my latest trip to Africa by those Taiwanese who have spent the best times of their lives serving the populations of our allies," he said. "Their achievements in humanitarian fields are the solid bedrock of Taiwan's diplomatic efforts."
Chen said that the many Taiwanese experts who have devoted themselves to promoting health and agriculture and the many businessmen who had invested their careers in these developing countries were all proof of what he called the "Taiwan spirit."
The president said Taiwan should continue contributing to the global village in these ways and that he would like to personally introduce the "Taiwan spirit" to the international community.
In Washington, a delegation of "pan-green" lawmakers hinted that there was little chance that Chen would be allowed to make a stopover in Washington should he make a trip to diplomatic allies in Central America.
DPP Legislator Paris Chang (張旭成) said on Wednesday that Chen had told them not to raise the matter with US officials because the political climate was not right.
"Chen said that you've got to be able to understand each other's interests and problems, and not try to impose something difficult on your friends," Chang quoted the president as saying.
A Chen visit would almost certainly anger Beijing and increase tension in Sino-US relations at a time when the George W. Bush administration is trying hard to improve relations with China.
This does not mean that Chen would not want to visit Washington in the future, said DPP Legislator Hsiao Bi-Khim, the delegation's spokeswoman. She added that the delegation had heeded Chen's wish not to broach the subject while in the US capital.
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