The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday reiterated that Taiwan would not resort to "checkbook diplomacy," as President Chen Shui-bian (
The ministry's remarks came in response to an article published in the Chinese-language China Times yesterday that Taiwan's diplomatic relations with some of its allies in Central and South America were under threat, with some of these allies demanding US$550 million to preserve these ties.
Ministry Spokesman David Wang (
Foreign aid
"Taiwan's foreign aid projects are the result of careful studies of their feasibility and negotiations on both sides. They are by no means a result of `spendthrift diplomacy' or a `bidding war' [with China] to establish or maintain diplomatic ties," Wang said.
China's economic power has been rising in recent years and it is not favorable for Taiwan to compete with China based on "checkbook diplomacy," he said, adding that Taiwan had already given up such a strategy.
Pressure
Wang, however, admitted that Taiwan has encountered pressure in maintaining its allies in Central and South America as China has been ramping up the amount of its foreign aid in these areas.
A senior diplomatic official, who wished to remain anonymous, said it was not easy for Taiwan, which has an annual budget of only US$900 million for diplomacy to compete with China, which has more than US$20 billion at its command.
The diplomatic official added that Beijing has taken advantage of its role in the UN to contact Taiwan's allies in Central America when the UN holds meetings in the international body's headquarters in New York.
Blocked
"China can easily meet the high-ranking officials of our allies in places where Taiwanese access is blocked and talk about the price of foreign aid," the official said.
"It is almost impossible for us to guard against such happenings," he said.
The official stressed that "a solid national consensus and understanding of Taiwan's diplomatic predicament" would be a good way to support the government's efforts and boost the nation's diplomatic standing.
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