Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (
Lu, who is on a 12-day journey to three of the nation's allies in Central America and the Caribbean, made the remarks during a flight from Panama to Guatemala -- the last stop of her trip. She made a refueling stop in Panama.
Lu said that she was asked during an interview with Paraguayan media whether the government should publicly apologize to Paraguayans for supporting the Stroessner regime which persecuted innocent people during its 34-year authoritarian rule.
PHOTO: AFP
Lu said that while the former KMT administration supported the Stroessner regime, the Paraguayan strongman had backed Chiang Kai-shek's (
Historic mistakes must be dealt with via understanding and self-examination, she said, and the mistake was made by the former KMT administration, not the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). If anyone should apologize, it should be Ma, she said.
Lu dismissed a report in the Chinese-language China Times that she had said the government had decided to write off a US$400 million loan to Paraguay, calling it "false."
She said that she did not comment on the matter because it is the president's constitutional duty to set foreign policy.
Lu said she did not think China would keep its promise to give Costa Rica US$430 million in aid in exchange for that country cutting diplomatic ties with Taipei.
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Hou Ching-shan (
Meanwhile, Lu warned the international community of China's military ambitions in the Pacific region. She said some of the long-range missiles deployed along China's southeast coast could reach Los Angeles, Australia or cities in Europe.
Lu made the remarks in a speech on "soft diplomacy" at the National University of Asuncion.
Lu said Taiwan has not yet become a complete democracy, despite the transfer of power in 2000. The opposition-dominated legislature has continuously boycotted government policies and it might take two or even three stages of democratic revolution to resolve the problem, she said.
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