Taiwan’s recent pledge of a US$100 million aid package to the Dominican Republic is in line with the government’s policy of foreign aid transparency, Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (楊進添) said yesterday, rejecting a local media report that said the donation was part of efforts to shore up ties with Latin American allies.
The Associated Press on Wednesday reported that Taiwan had agreed to provide the Caribbean nation with US$100 million distributed over four years to build hospital-related facilities and a business park in Santo Domingo.
A report in the Chinese-language China Times yesterday said the pledge was a “card” played by Taiwan to maintain ties with its Latin American allies even though the government had declared a “diplomatic truce” with China in which both sides have an unspoken understanding to refrain from “checkbook diplomacy.”
Yang said the aid package had been compiled in a transparent manner by having the Dominican Republic make a clear proposal on how it planned to use the money before funds were allocated.
“It is definitely not a case of money being passed under the table,” he said, adding that under President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) “modus vivendi” policy, the government aimed to strengthen ties with allies by raising the quality of its aid, not the quantity.
Yang said the US$100 million package would be divided in half — into a loan and a donation — to develop ongoing public welfare projects.
The US$50 million donation will be distributed evenly over the next four years, while the loan would only be granted on condition that Santo Domingo provides a clear plan detailing how the money would be used, he added.
The Dominican Republic was not one of the 16 signatories of Taiwan’s petition this year for “meaningful participation” in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
This does not reflect an unwillingness to support Taiwan’s cause, Yang said.
“There are many ways for our allies to express their support for us. Mental support is also a form of support,” Yang added.
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