The government is not against commercial activity with Iran that benefits Taiwanese businesspeople, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said in the wake of a new round of international sanctions against the Islamic republic.
The remarks also came after the Israeli representative in Taiwan said it would be imprudent for Taiwan to deepen its relations with Iran at this moment.
ISRAELI OPPOSITION
Rafael Gamzou, head of the Israel Cultural and Economic Office in Taipei, said in an interview published last Sunday that Israel has no objection to Taiwan fostering a better relationship with the Arab world, but that it would frown on closer Taiwan-Iran ties.
Gamzou added that many countries were condemning the Iranian regime for its nuclear power program.
Ministry spokesman Henry Chen (陳銘政), however, said the government would not interfere with economic affairs.
'BUSINESS IS BUSINESS'
“The Republic of China [Taiwan] is not seeking to establish official diplomatic ties with Iran ... Business is business,” Chen said. “We’re not against anything as long as it creates commercial profitability for our people.”
“Taiwanese businesspeople have been doing business with Iranians for a long time. The bilateral relations were not developed overnight. Businesspeople will do whatever they think is profitable even if they have to do so without help from the government,” he said.
TRADE RELATIONS
While Taiwan does not rule out developing closer trade relations with Iran, setting up a trade office in Taipei would require much more consideration, he said without elaborating.
The Taiwan External Trade Development Council established an office in Tehran in 1992.
Hoping to curb Tehran’s nuclear enrichment activities, Washington is leading a drive to add further sanctions to four sets of sanctions the UN has imposed on Iran since 2006.
Both the US and the EU have added to those sanctions and are set to impose more targeting foreign trade, financial services and companies that do significant business with or invest in Iran’s energy sector.
SOVEREIGNTY
Harry Tseng (曾厚仁), director-general of the ministry’s Department of North American Affairs, said that US concern over Iran was not a secret, but that Washington also clearly realizes that Taiwan is a sovereign country.
“It may point out the sensitivity of the region and its concerns, but the US usually doesn’t force its policy on other countries because the approach would lead to results that don’t necessarily serve US interests,” Tseng said.
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