Premier Su Tseng-chang's (
Government Information Office Minister and Cabinet Spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang (
MOFA last night also issued a press release condemning China's move to block the trip.
Su was supposed to leave for Haiti on May 11 or May 12.
Preval's inauguration will be held on May 14. Haiti invited Chen to participate in the event, but Chen will not be able to attend because he will be visiting Costa Rica as well as other allies of Taiwan in the region.
Chen assigned Su to attend the inauguration in his place, and Su's trip was supposed to last seven or eight days. That information was first made public last week, but the Cabinet had stayed quiet about the details of the trip.
MOFA's news release said that the Chinese government took advantage of its UN seat to bully Haiti, threatening Preval that the UN would withdraw its forces from Haiti if Su attended his inauguration. Preval then contacted Taiwan's embassy and requested that Taiwan send a different envoy, while promising that Haiti-Taiwan ties would be preserved during his presidency.
The news release said that MOFA would strongly protest against the Chinese government's arbitrary oppression of Taiwan and Haiti, and would continue to organize trips for Su to Taiwan's allies.
As of press time yesterday, MOFA had not announced a new envoy to Preval's inauguration to replace Su.
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