Fri, Jan 05, 2007 page3

• Taiwan, US still negotiating on Chen's potential transit

  • By Charles Snyder / STAFF REPORTER IN WASHINGTON
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  With less than a week to go before President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) planned visit to Nicaragua, US and Taiwanese authorities continued sensitive negotiations in Washing-ton over where Chen might be permitted to stop when he transits the US en route to and from Central America, and what he would be allowed to do while in the US.

  US President George W. Bush's administration has tentatively decided to allow Chen to make the transit stop, some sources say.

  "It's a question of place, rather than `yes' or `no,'" a source said.

  The key question is whether Chen would be allowed to stop in the contiguous 48 states or in Alaska, which was what the administration offered the last time Chen sought to fly via the US in May.

  The decision by the Bush administration will be seen as a "marker" of US attitude toward Chen in the wake of the scandals that have engulfed him over the past year, and his New Year's address, which contained none of the surprises that Washington had feared might be in the speech, a source close to Taiwan said.

  The State Department on Wednesday declined to provide any details on the talks and how the administration would handle Taiwan's request for transit stops in the US.

  Department Spokesman Sean McCormack, when asked, repeated the normal mantra that the request would be handled in the context of the Taiwan Relations Act, the three joint US-China communiques and Washington's "one-China" policy, with considerations for the "safety, convenience and dignity" of Chen.

  "I know that he has talked about traveling to Nicaragua," McCormack said. "So, we'll take a look at whatever request is made in accordance with those policies."

  He refused to answer a question about the cities in which Chen may be allowed to stop, saying only, "we'll keep you up to date."

  Chen is scheduled to travel to Nicaragua to attend the swearing-in ceremony for president-elect Daniel Ortega on Wednesday.

  McCormack refused to comment on Chen's New Year's address, saying that he had not had a chance to read it.

  However, observers in Washington expect the content of the speech and what Chen did not say to play a role in the administration's transit decision.

  The US is said to be relatively pleased with the address, especially since Chen failed to mention constitutional reform and his idea that a constitutional rewrite could entail the creation of a so-called "Second Republic" to supplant the current Republic of China.

  The decision on where Chen will stay and what he does in those stops will be a "marker of how pleased or displeased" Washington is with Chen's speech, a source said.

  Another factor is apprehension about Chen's upcoming Lunar New Year speech, which is also likely to play a role in the negotiations over his transit next week.

  The administration also has to weigh China's reaction to Chen's speech and the transit decision.

  While Beijing blasted Chen's assertions of Taiwan's sovereignty and his statement that "Taiwan is part of the world, not a part of China," some observers saw the reaction as pro-forma and muted.

  In Taipei, Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (黃志芳) yesterday still gave vague answers on the matter.

  "We are still planning whether President Chen will attend the ceremony in person or a special envoy will do it for him. Because of the Christmas and New Year break, we have less time to prepare [for the event], but we are working on two plans," Huang said.

  "President Chen himself has not made a final decision yet," Huang added.

  Additional reporting by Jewel Huang
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