Taiwan must ensure its banking system does not become part of the money laundering channel for international terrorists, a retired US ambassador said yesterday.
"It will be very important for the banking system to make sure that Taiwan is not a place for terrorist organizations to launder money," said Harvey Feldman, a former US representative to the UN, at the Legislative Yuan yesterday morning.
Feldman made the comment when asked how US military moves in the Middle East in retaliation for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks might affect Asia and Taiwan.
Katharine Chang (張小月), spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Taiwan's Ministry of Finance, as well as localbanks, have already started inspections for potential money laundering by terrorist organizations.
"So far we haven't found any suspicious activity," Chang said.
"And yet Taiwan has already noticed that this situation exists and is willing to exchange any related information with the US," she added.
Anti-laundering measures taken by Taiwan, Chang said, followed the spirit of the International Convention for the Suppression of Financing Terrorism, which was passed by the UN General Assembly in 1999, as well as two other related UN resolutions which were passed last month.
At Feldman's talk, Yang Nien-Dzu (
Feldman also told lawmakers that the US would expect little from Taiwan as far as any military cooperation against terrorists is concerned.
"I don't think the US will expect Taiwan to contribute bases, soldiers or naval forces," said Feldman, one of the architects of the Taiwan Relations Act and one of the creators of the American Institute in Taiwan.
The retired US diplomat, currently serving as a senior fellow for Asia at the Washington-based Heritage Foundation, stressed the prolonged nature of the US-led fight against terrorists.
"It's going to go on for a number of years ... It's not like the Gulf War where you have decisive results in 48 hours," Feldman said.
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