As President Chen Shui-bian (
Of the 26 countries that have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, 11 are in Central America and the Caribbean. According to a US government report, China has been focusing its efforts to undermine Taiwan's diplomatic presence in the region in order to further marginalize the country's ability to participate in international organizations -- or, as Taiwanese officials often put it, to "squeeze Taiwan's diplomatic space."
Critics of Taiwan's diplomatic efforts often castigate the nation's allies as a group of largely impoverished, developing countries with little clout on the international scene. Despite repeated protestations to the contrary by administration officials, such critics describe Taiwan's foreign policy as being based almost entirely on dollar diplomacy.
Meanwhile, supporters of the country's diplomatic policies say Taiwan must retain as many allies as possible in order to have a base of support for its attempts to join international organizations, such as the World Health Organization and the UN. Official recognition by its allies raises Taiwan's profile on the international scene by illustrating Taiwan's ability to perform the responsibilities of a modern, developed state, supporters argue.
Indeed, much of Taiwan's diplomacy is channeled into development aid and technological training programs, most of which are coordinated by the International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF), an agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This agency is authorized under the Statute for the Establishment of the ICDF (國際合作發展基金會設置條例) to "provide technical cooperation and assistance to friendly or developing countries" that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, or that do not have ties but "intend to cooperate with [Taiwan] ... to improve substantive relations."
As of last year, the ICDF had a net value of more than US$14.71 billion, according to the "ICDF Annual Report 2004." The ICDF also has over 500 staff members, more than 150 of whom are volunteers posted overseas, the report said.
Taiwan's development aid to Central America and the Caribbean covers a broad range of activities, including agricultural technical missions, disaster relief and professional training programs.
Last year, Taiwan approved nine technical assistance projects in Central America and the Caribbean, as well as two banking and finance projects worth US$15 million. The Americas accounted for around 60 percent of all finance and loan programs under the ICDF's care, including a "Special Fund for the Social Transformation of Central America" worth US$10 million.
But Taiwan's diplomacy in the region is not limited to loans and technical assistance projects.
For example, today, more than 30 senior economic officials from eight of Taiwan's diplomatic allies in the Americas will begin a month-long training program dedicated to economic planning.
The program will include seminars, lectures and inspection tours aimed at sharing Taiwan's experience in economic planning, according to a statement released on Saturday by ICDF Secretary-General Chen Cheng-chung (
Taiwan has also conducted a number of humanitarian and disaster relief operations in the Americas, such as a hurricane recovery and relief operation in Haiti last year, and a child-sponsorship and education program in Guatemala.
Still, China's growing economic clout has led some of Taiwan's allies to call into question the benefits of recognizing Taipei.
For example, a group of businesspeople in Costa Rica have been calling for San Jose to embrace Beijing, saying that they were missing out on important opportunities because of their county's relationship with Taiwan.
The situation deteriorated so badly that last week, Taiwan's embassy in Costa Rica felt compelled to make a public statement denouncing the "distorted comments."
"We hope that the government and the people of Costa Rica can reflect deeply on `China fever,'" embassy spokeswoman Hu Sheng-fen said in the statement.
"[The embassy] hopes that Costa Ricans continue supporting Taiwan, which greatly values democracy, liberty and friendship," Hu wrote.
When the president travels to Nicaragua to attend the Fifth Taiwan-Central America summit in the next few weeks, he can be sure to push the same message, even as he signs a number of new trade, development and cooperation agreements with the nation's regional allies.
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