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Lawmaker locked in war of words

Veteran DPP lawmaker Parris Chang (張旭成) has demanded an apology from Solomon Islands' Ambassador Seth Gukuna for criticizing his newspaper article on dollar diplomacy.

Chang is convener of the legislature's Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee. On Aug. 2, he published a statement in an English-language newspaper criticizing the dollar diplomacy practiced by the South Pacific island state of Nauru.

Two days later, Gukuna wrote a letter to Chang saying he was utterly disappointed with the article.

"While your stinging attack on Nauru is uncalled for, it only reinforced your persisting negative views on Pacific Islands' countries that have often been caught up in the never-ending political wrangling between the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China," Gukuna wrote.

Gukuna added that Chang's attack on Nauru was something he had done before to the Solomon Islands -- another diplomatic ally that has been accused of practicing dollar diplomacy.

Chang, who was overseas when the letter arrived, said Gukuna also sent copies of the letter to the ambassadors of the Marshall Islands and Palau, two of Taiwan's allies in the Pacific.

A copy of the letter was also sent to Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新).

Chang said he has personally talked to Chien about Gukuna's letter. "If Gukuna does not apologize, I will block the aid budget for the Solomon Islands in the legislature's next session," Chang said.

In his newspaper article, Chang stated the reasons why he opposed re-establishing diplomatic ties with Nauru -- which last year became an ally of China.

Nauru and China announced their diplomatic ties on July 21 last year, the day President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was sworn in as the chairman of the DPP.

Two days later, Taiwan declared that it was cutting diplomatic ties with Nauru.

"Nauru is a country that leans toward richer countries. It cleaves to the country that has more money. Taiwan should not pick up this kind of country as its ally," Chang said in his article.

"Taiwan should establish diplomatic ties with countries that can contribute to its economy, defense and diplomacy. Nauru matches none of these conditions," Chang said.

In criticizing Chang's article, Gukuna wrote: "I do not expect someone who is very concerned about his country's on-going drive for sovereign recognition to continue to belittle Pacific Islands States? in such an unprofessional manner."

Asked why Gukuna might have reacted the way he did to Chang's article Chang said it was because the Solomon Islands has been guilty of the same kind of behavior.

Chang said that when he was visiting Australia in September 2000, a source there told him that the Solomon Islands had persuaded Australia to dispatch lobbyists to Taiwan to demand more aid money.

"The Solomon Islands wanted US$40 million and threatened to establish diplomatic ties with China if Taiwan did not give the aid," Chang said.

The following October, the South Pacific State's foreign minister, Danny Philip, failed to show up for a scheduled visit to Taipei.

Chang says that Philip was visiting Beijing when he was supposed to be in Taipei.

Gukuna, on the other hand, confirmed that his foreign minister was somewhere in the Chinese region at the time, although he said was not sure about Philip's exact whereabouts.

Philip's no-show triggered much speculation and rumor about his country's plan to switch its diplomatic ties from Taipei to Beijing.

"There are countries going back and forth between China and Taiwan in an attempt to gain benefits from both sides," Chang said.

Chien did not comment on Gukuna's letter yesterday. But Chang said that officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will explain to him tomorrow how best to handle the situation.
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