President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) is tentatively planning to visit Taiwan's diplomatic allies in Africa following his scheduled trip to Latin America in August, diplomatic sources told the Taipei Times yesterday.
The Africa leg of Chen's tour could possibly follow his trip to the Dominican Republic. From there he may transit through New York and on to Taiwan's diplomatic allies in western Africa, including Burkina Faso, Gambia, Liberia or Senegal, the source said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) was tight-lipped and Tao Wen-lung (陶文隆), the director of African affairs, refused to comment on the proposed itinerary.
"President Chen's trip to Latin America is not even set yet ... leave Africa out of this," Tao told the Taipei Times.
Taiwan's head-of-state has not visited Africa since former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) attended the inauguration of ex-South African president Nelson Mandela in 1994.
In March, Senegal held a presidential election where the opposition candidate Abdoulaye Wade of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) won, ending the ruling party's 40-year-long grip on power.
Taiwan did not send an official delegation to Wade's inauguration.
Malawi, located in Southeast Africa, could be another country visited by the president, perhaps to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a Taiwan-financed hospital in Mzuzu.
Officials at the foreign ministry say the construction of the Mzuzu hospital has been delayed and it would be another two to three months before it would be ready for operation.
The foreign ministry usually refuses to confirm arrangements for high level overseas trips out of fear of expected political interference from China.
Taiwan has eight African diplomatic allies sprinkled mostly throughout West and South Africa, including Sao Tome and Principe, Malawi, Swaziland and Chad.
The region is second only to Latin America for the most number of countries with formal ties to Taiwan.
Recent reports have speculated that President Chen will attend the inauguration of the Dominican Republic's new president on Aug. 16, but both the Presidential Office and the foreign ministry were vague on the details.
The Presidential Office would only say that it has received an invitation to the inauguration.
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