President Chen Shui-bian's (
Despite earlier denials, Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (
He said leaks by top Indonesian officials, instead of leaks from Taiwanese officials, prompted China to pressure Indonesia over the trip, and Chen opted to call the journey off to avoid humiliating treatment abroad.
PHOTO: LIAO RAY-SHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
"The ministry had no choice but to deny knowledge of the planned visit in keeping with an agreement between the governments," Chien said before the Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee.
He refused to shed light on the purposes of the journey except that Vice Foreign Minister Michael Kao (
Kung Hai-jung (孔海榮), a Taiwanese lawyer based in Indonesia, who helped arrange the visit, pinned the blame on the administration's unwillingness to make the necessary accommodations.
The lawyer made the brief remark before checking out of a hotel in Taoyuan on Sunday morning. He is believed to have played a key role in arranging Vice President Annette Lu's (
Some media reports speculated the foreign ministry did not see eye-to-eye with national security officials over the ill-fated trip because the foreign ministry was displeased about being kept in the dark.
But Chien shrugged off the claims as false.
He said the ministry was well aware of the incident and that the government would not allow any private individuals to plan the itinerary of the president or other ranking officials.
"Reports that bureaucratic infighting thwarted the president's Indonesian trip are simply not true," the minister said. "[Indonesia's] Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X told reporters about Chen's planned visit on Friday, which triggered a strong protest from China."
To placate Beijing, Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda reiterated yesterday visits by Taiwanese officials are not welcome.
Chien, however, declined to comment if the diplomatic setback would impact bilateral ties.
"The whole incident is still under review and President Chen has expressed that he wishes it will soon end," he said.
The minister stressed that diplomatic protocol is the government's chief concern when it arranges overseas trips for Chen.
"It is the ministry's responsibility to see to it that the president always travels under the principles of dignity, comfort, convenience, and safety -- among which dignity is the most important," he told lawmakers.
Unconvinced, the KMT legislative caucus demanded Joseph Wu (
Wu said Saturday the president had no intention of visiting Indonesia and that he would have his head chopped off if he lied about it.
KMT Legislator Sun Kauo-hwa (
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