MOFA says First Lady oppressed

First lady Wu Shu-chen leads Taiwan's Paralympics delegation in a cheer yesterday at the Olympic Village in Athens. PHOTO: SUNG CHIH-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen (陳唐山) called for the EU to maintain its arms embargo on China yesterday and urged the Taiwanese people to be united in supporting first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) while she endures "diplomatic oppression" by Beijing in Athens.

Taiwan's representative to the EU, Chen Chien-jen (程建人), and Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Yin Chi-ming (尹啟銘) led a delegation to attend an annual conference between Taiwan and the EU in Brussels last Thursday, the minister said.

Herve Jouanjean, European Commission Deputy Director-General for Asia and Latin America, and Pierre Defraigne, deputy director-general of DG Trade for the European Commission, represented the EU at the conference.

"Our delegates have expressed to the EU our serious concern about the EU's proposal to lift the arms embargo on China during the meeting," Mark Chen said in a press conference.

"Some EU member states, spearheaded by France and Germany, have been actively seeking to remove the ban since the end of last year. Fortunately, the US has been strongly opposed to the proposal and the EU nations have not reached a consensus on the issue," he said.

"We want to appeal for the international community to consider the severe impact that will come after the sanction is lifted. We wish to remind the international community that China's human rights record remains poor," Mark Chen added.

Moreover, if the EU removes the arms embargo, China will be able to supply high-tech weapons to authoritarian regimes it supports, such as Myanmar, Cambodia, North Korea and Cuba, the minister said.

Meanwhile, Mark Chen urged the international community to condemn China and the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) "harsh and anti-sportsman-like" manipulation of Wu at the Paralympic Games in Athens.

The IPC, which issued Wu a card confirming her as the leader of Taiwan's paralympic delegation prior to the games, reversed its decision and declared Chen Li-chou (陳李綢), the president of Taiwan's National Paralympic Committee, as the real head of the Taiwan delegation after Wu's arrival in Athens yesterday.

Mark Chen said the IPC, in its previous letters to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), had welcomed Wu's participation in the games.

"It said it was glad to see the first lady take part in the games, because it would boost the visibility of the event," the minister added.

Mark Chen, however, admitted that the ministry was aware some "conditions" might be imposed on Wu in Athens several days before her departure, owing to China's machination's in the IPC.

"But the first lady was determined to fight for Taiwan's diplomacy and still decided to go," he added.

James Huang (黃志芳), deputy secretary-general of the Presidential Office, accompanied Wu to Athens and has been negotiating with the IPC regarding Wu's status in the games.

Addressing concerns that Wu might be forced to cancel her public activities because of the IPC's flip-flops, Mark Chen said Wu had rescheduled her public appearances in Athens because of health reasons, rather than Chinese pressure.

"We will defend our rights to the end and will not give up any opportunity to negotiate with the IPC," he added.