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Suriname plans for high-level Taiwan visit anger Beijing

A high-profile delegation from the South American country of Suriname will visit Taiwan in the near future at the invitation of the Taiwanese government, a report by Caribbean Net News said on Monday.

The report said the delegation would include influential politicians and business executives, as well as several members of parliament.

The planned visit, the report said, has angered Chinese authorities. Quoting Surinamese parliamentary speaker Paul Somohardjo, the report said that the Chinese deputy foreign minister had summoned the Surinamese ambassador to Beijing, Isaak Soerokarso, to express Beijing's disappointment over the planned visit.

Surinamese Foreign Minister Lygia Kraag-Keteldijk was also quoted as saying that the Chinese charge d'affaires had met Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Frederik Boekstaaf to voice Beijing's opposition to the visit.

China is particularly upset because several members of parliament from the Suriname coalition government will make up the delegation to Taiwan, while only Surinamese Vice President Ram Sardjoe had recently paid an official visit to Beijing, the report said.

Somohardjo stressed that although several coalition members of parliament -- including Deputy Speaker Caprino Alendy -- were preparing to travel to Taipei, this did not constitute an official delegation representing the Surinamese government.

All participants, including politicians, businessmen and union leaders, have been invited by the Taiwanese government as private citizens, he said.

Somohardjo expressed his annoyance over the pressure Beijing was putting on the Surinamese government over the matter, the report said. Somohardjo was quoted as saying that his party, Pertjajah Luhur, which is part of the coalition government, would stick with its "one China" policy until the 2010 general elections.

"What the government will do after 2010 remains to be seen," Somohardjo told reporters.

"Just because I am your friend doesn't mean that your enemy should also be my enemy," he said.

Some of the members of parliament who have been invited by Taipei have received pressure from within the coalition to turn down the invitation, the report said.

Alendy, however, said that it would be improper for Suriname to reject Taiwan's offer for assistance without first taking a look for itself.

He said he wanted to see what Taipei was prepared to do for Suriname without formal or political recognition in return.

Alendy said that Suriname and Taiwan could maintain cultural and economic relations.

David Chin, secretary of the private Suriname-Taiwan Friendship Foundation in Paramaribo, said the visit would neither be delayed nor canceled as a result of pressure from Beijing. He said China had no right to dictate who Suriname could and could not have relations with.

Through the foundation, Taipei has offered development aid to Suriname for infrastructure projects, education, IC technology and agriculture, the report said.
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