President Chen Shui-bian (
"To this end, Taiwan needs to adapt itself quickly to every changing circumstance and become braver despite frustration," Chen told a group of Taiwanese reporters on his airplane shortly before talking off from the Schipol airport in Amsterdam for Asuncion, Paraguay.
The president said that these reasons lay behind his decision not to stop over in Anchorage, Alaska, en route to Paraguay during his Latin American trip.
PHOTO: CNA
Chen's plane made a brief stop in the capital of the Netherlands for refueling.
"We must find our way resolutely and fearlessly with no regard for the great pressure we are facing," Chen said.
Several hours before that, the president had made a transit stop in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, where he engaged in wide-ranging talks with senior politicians.
Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (黃志芳), who is accompanying Chen, said that the president had originally planned to stop over in Beirut and then fly to the Dominican Republic for refueling before continuing to Asuncion.
But the plan to stop in Beirut was blocked owing to China's opposition, forcing the president to change his plan and stop in Abu Dhabi, Huang said.
As the high temperature in Abu Dhabi meant that the president's plane could not be completely refueled for safety reasons related to the increased volatility of the fuel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs applied for permission from Dutch officials for a refueling stop in Amsterdam, Huang said.
He said that the plane would fly directly from Amsterdam to Asuncion without stopping in the Dominican Republic.
Ministry spokesman Michel Lu (
Chen departed Taipei on Thursday for a two-nation Latin American visit. Taipei had previously requested that he be allowed to stop over in San Francisco and New York during the trip. The request was turned down by the US government, which offered to allow Chen to stop in Honolulu, Hawaii, or Anchorage for transit.
The diplomatic twist in which Chen abandoned Anchorage and opted for other locations for transits yesterday had sparked concerns over the future of Taiwan-US relations.
A US State Department spokesman said that Chen's decision not to stop over in Anchorage would have no ill effect on Washington's relations with Taipei.
Asked by a reporter whether Chen's rejection of an Alaska stopover would have a "chilling effect" on bilateral relations, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said: "I would expect that it would not have any effect."
Lu also denied that the spat over the choice of a US stopover location had compromised relations with the US.
"An individual incident will not have much of a negative impact," Lu said.
"Taiwan is a major economy in the international community, sharing the responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region with other countries. The role Taiwan plays conforms to the strategic interests of the US in the Western Pacific," Lu said.
Lu said that although Chen did request a stopover in Anchorage before his departure for Paraguay, he had changed his mind and "informed the US of the decision at an appropriate time, and the US understands the situation."
also see stories:
US will still let Chen transit in Alaska
Wang defends Chen as lawmakers debate Chen's trip
News Watch: Keeping the red carpet rolled up
Japan has deployed long-range missiles in a southwestern region near China, the Japanese defense minister said yesterday, at a time when ties with Beijing are at their lowest in recent years. The missiles were installed in Kumamoto in the southern region of Kyushu, as Japan is attempting to shore up its military capacity as China steps up naval activity in the East China Sea. “Standoff defense capabilities enable us to counter the threat of enemy forces attempting to invade our country ... while ensuring the safety of our personnel,” Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said. “This is an extremely important initiative for
MORE POPULAR: Taiwan Pass sales increased by 59 percent during the first quarter compared with the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said The Tourism Administration yesterday said that it has streamlined the Taiwan Pass, with two versions available for purchase beginning today. The tourism agency has made the pass available to international tourists since 2024, allowing them to access the high-speed rail, Taiwan Railway Corp services, four MRT systems and four Taiwan Tourist Shuttles. Previously, five types of Taiwan Pass were available, but some tourists have said that the offerings were too complicated. The agency said only two types of Taiwan Pass would be available, starting from a three-day pass with the high-speed rail and a three-day pass with Taiwan Railway Corp. The former costs NT$2,800
POLLS CONCERNS: There are concerns within the KMT that a Cheng Li-wun-Xi Jinping meeting could trigger a voter backlash in elections in November Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to visit next month, her party and Chinese state media reported yesterday. Cheng, who took up her role in November last year, “gladly accepted” the invitation to lead a delegation to China, the KMT said in a statement, confirming a Xinhua news agency report. Cheng “looks forward to joint efforts by both parties to advance the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, and work for peace in the Taiwan Strait and greater well-being for people on both sides,” the statement said. Chinese
SIGNIFICANT TO THE WORLD: The delegation’s visit aims to send a clear message that bipartisan support for Taiwan is consistent, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen said The US Senate’s bipartisan support for Taiwan remains strong and Taiwan-US ties would continue for decades to come, a US Senate delegation said in Taipei yesterday, while calling on the legislature to swiftly pass a special defense budget bill. A US delegation led by Democratic US Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican US Senator John Curtis — both members of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations — arrived in Taiwan yesterday for a two-day visit. The other senators of the delegation included Senate Taiwan Caucus cochair Thom Tillis and Senate Committee on Armed Services senior member Jacky Rosen. Shaheen told a news
RSS