Wed, Jun 06, 2001 page3

• Chen's diplomacy garners wide praise

  HOME COMING Observers say that while domestic concerns are still dogging the president, he had success preparing the ground for new diplomatic directions

  • By Lin Chieh-yu / STAFF REPORTER
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  President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) tour of five Latin American countries and his stopovers in Houston and New York represented many breakthroughs for Taiwan, but was plagued by interruptions as concerns arose at home. But more than anything else, sources in the Presidential Office say the trip paved the way for a new direction in diplomacy.

  That direction is focused on Taiwan's entry into regional groupings and international organizations; and its fight against financial blackmail from Taiwan's diplomatic allies, sources said.

  Chen returned to Taiwan yesterday morning, ending a 16-day, 25,200km journey -- his second overseas diplomatic tour since coming to power.

  During the trip, Chen and his 200-member delegation visited El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay and Honduras, making a two-night stopover in New York in the beginning and a one-night stopover in Houston on their way home.

  Taiwan dollar falls

  While he was away the Taiwan dollar dipped as low as NT$34.5 against the greenback and the stock market fell below 5,000 points. Taiwan's economic growth rate for the first quarter fell to its lowest point in 25 years, 1.06 percent.

  Chen told accompanying reporters that his trip had been much more tiring for him than his first tour last August but he insisted that it had also yielded more results. The highlight of the trip was Chen's stopover in New York, where he met with 21 House representatives, visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the New York Stock Exchange.

  He also met with New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and enjoyed a level of public and official attention unheard of since the US broke off diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

  "The reception Chen received can be described as `presidential' this time. Most importantly, the fine reception during his stopovers can be taken as a basis for the future trips of Taiwan's presidents and high-level government officials as well," said a high-ranking official from the National Security Council (國安會), who accompanied Chen.

  The success was in part a result of the DPP government's cautious approach to foreign affairs.

  "Chen's comments on every diplomatic event were thoroughly planned. For example, he did not complain about the humiliating reception he received when visiting Los Angeles last year.

  "But neither did he outwardly express his joy for US approval of major arms sales at this year's Taiwan-US arms talks. After US President George W. Bush publicly promised to defend Taiwan if China were to invade, Chen simply expressed his appreciation to the US in order not to offend Beijing," the official said.

  The Bush administration's stance toward China has also helped, the official said.

  But such success was no reason to be overjoyed. "A breakthrough on the stopover does not guarantee that Taiwan-US relations will be stable forever," the official said.

  "But on this basis -- that Taiwan officials can ask for stopovers in foreign countries without diplomatic ties with Taiwan by following the `New York model' -- marks a new phase in our diplomatic work."

  Chen also unveiled a new direction for Taiwan's foreign policies by focusing on regional organizations such as the System for Integration in Central America (SICA) and the Mercado Comun del Cono Sur (Southern Cone Common Market, MERCOSUR).

  The DPP government must come out of the shadow of the "dollar diplomacy" practiced by the former KMT government, said one young aide to the president.

  Becoming an extra-regional member of SICA would not only help Taiwan link up with other international organizations, but it would also help Taiwan benefit from the North American Free Trade Agreement and MERCOSUR, which is set to become a free trade area of the Americas.

  China worries

  However, Taiwan failed on this trip because agreement was not recorded in the joint communique signed by Chen and other Central American heads of state. Taiwan's diplomatic allies are still apparently worried about China's reaction and have also attempted to seek more financial assistance from Taiwan.

  In the past, many heads of state have used overseas trips to distract the public's focus or enhance their popularity when they were facing domestic political predicaments or personal crises.

  Chen's movements -- embarking on May 21, the day after the anniversary of his inauguration, and expressing a message in advance on May 18 to "seek the members in opposition parties who share the same ideas as him and form a coalition government" -- have successfully shifted the focus of the media and public opinion, said New Party lawmaker Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆), who accompanied Chen.

  "Originally, opposition parties may have attacked the DPP for its poor performance over the past year. But what breakthroughs will be made during the president's trip?

  "What is the substantive significance of a coalition government? These questions became the center of discussion in the domestic political arena. Chen's administration has thus escaped intense bombardment," Lai said.

  Lai also said that Chen made an all-out effort to court US businesses in New York, responded to issues regarding economic development, and also talked about the formation and goals of a coalition government in Central America.

  Although Chen still used a lot of rhetoric or "campaign talk" and even caused misunderstandings, Lai said, he nevertheless succeeded in promoting his ideas.

  However, DPP lawmaker Parris Chang (張旭成), who was also a member of the delegation, said Chen talked too much about domestic politics and cross-strait relations, and the words he used were not precise enough, which generated misunderstandings and blurred the goals of his diplomatic activities.

  "Furthermore, Chen still used some `campaign talk' when he commented on domestic politics. He was not as careful as when he handles diplomatic issues," Chang said.

  While the presidential tour has been a breakthrough for President Chen, he also had to accept defeat over the change in diplomatic relations with Macedonia.

  A key official handling foreign policy in the Presidential Office said that during the change in diplomatic relations with Macedonia and while Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Hung-mao (田宏茂) left the delegation for Macedonia to make a last-ditch effort at reconciliation, the prime minister of Macedonia requested that Taiwan offer even more financial assistance to help him resist the Macedonian president, who supports China.

  Prioritizing dignity

  "But President Chen feels that Taiwanese foreign policy should no longer be restricted by `blackmail' and that he must make national status and dignity a priority, and gradually step out of the shadow cast by money diplomacy, and therefore he did not agree," the official said.

  He said that the DPP government will not continue to give limitless economic assistance to its diplomatic allies.

  "President Chen could, of course, not overturn the foreign diplomacy strategies of the former KMT government as soon as he got elected.

  "How to adjust the strategy of economic assistance to diplomatic allies without it leading to a chain reaction of countries breaking off diplomatic ties is a burden for the DPP when conducting its foreign diplomacy," the official said.

  Yang Tzu-pao (楊子葆), Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' International Cooperation and Development Foundation (國合會, ICDF), pointed out that many allies are still waiting for results from Taiwan's plan for economic assistance.

  Yang cited the Formosa Industrial Park in Honduras, the Fort David Export Processing Zone in Panama, and the Eastern City Industrial Park in Paraguay as some examples.

  "The new government shouldn't constantly worry about the breaking off of diplomatic relations just to maintain its number of diplomatic allies, but [instead should worry about] the problem of how to strike a balance between giving quality help without giving money and keeping already existing diplomatic relations is still a very difficult task," said a high-level official in the National Security Council.
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