Diplomacy: MOFA denies loan offer
Taiwan has not offered a US$100 million loan to the Solomon Islands, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Katharine Chang (張小月) said yesterday. Chang was commenting on a foreign wire service report that Solomon Islands Finance Minister Laurie Chan is in Taiwan pleading for Taiwan's Export-Import Bank to release money needed by the Solomon government to compensate victims of its civil war. According to the report, the money is the last tranche of a loan from the Taiwanese bank worth US$100 million. "The report was unfounded," Chang said, stressing that Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新) has pledged not to conduct "checkbook diplomacy." "We are unlikely to have lent the money to the Solomon Islands. We are unlikely to make an exception with the Pacific island nation, " she added.
Government: Conference set for Sunday
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and top governmental officials will gather at Sanchih, Taipei County this Sunday to talk about anti-terrorism and promoting democracy. This is the second large-scale policy making conference since the DPP came to power following the one held on Aug 24 at Tashee. The section will be broken into two parts. The morning section with a theme on how Taiwan can contribute in the global anti-terrorist initiatives will be presided over by Secretary-General of the National Security Council Chiou I-jen (邱義仁). Officials from the foreign affairs and justice ministries, the National Security Bureau and the council will join the discussion. Premier Yu Shyi-kun will host the afternoon session focusing on democratic advocacy.
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