A Presidential Office source yesterday said that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) is going on his fifth foreign trip later this month, in a visit to two diplomatic allies--Belize and Panama--in Central America, as well as making stopovers in the US.
"The main purpose of the president's state visit is to attend the inauguration ceremony for Panama's new president on Sep. 1," the source said, adding that the upcoming trip will be the third time Chen has flown to the country.
The source could not reveal the details of the entire trip, saying that some programs need further negotiation.
The source also said that the schedule for the president's stopover in the US remains undecided, but will likely include neither New York nor Washington.
"Chen told reporters last week that his upcoming trip will be arranged as simply as possible, meaning that his stopovers do not have any particular purpose -- such as trying to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough -- as the president has done during previous trips," the source said.
The source also denied speculation that Boston is the city Chen is preparing to visit.
"For the time being, visiting the northeast coast of the US is not a priority, and Boston was never on our list," the source said.
The official said that Panama can be described as the most important ally of Taiwan in Latin America, especially as China is making an all-out effort to develop relationships with different political figures in Panama and rumors that Panama's incoming administration is more friendly to China than the outgoing Moscoso administration.
Meanwhile, Chen yesterday also announced his plan to head an official delegation to attend the inauguration of Panamanian President-elect Martin Torrijos on Sept. 1.
Chen made the remarks while meeting with a group of Panamanian journalists and academics, who arrived in Taipei on Saturday for a goodwill visit.
Chen told his guests that he has fond memories of meeting Torrijos during his trip to Panama last November to attend the country's centennial celebrations.
"I'm confident that Torrijos will inject new vigor and vision in your country's administration, so that Panama's politics will become even more transparent and its economy more prosperous," Chen said.
He also expressed his gratification with the significant growth in bilateral trade since the Taiwan-Panama free trade agreement took effect at the beginning of this year.
Taiwan-Panama trade totaled US$133 million last year, and reached US$143 million in the first six months of this year, marking a 163 percent year-on-year rise. Taiwan's exports to Panama jumped 147 percent from a year earlier, while Panama's shipments to Taiwan registered a whopping 563 percent surge.
The president said that Panama has been one of the country's best friends, and he said that his administration will continue to promote commercial exchanges and cooperation with Panama in various fields on the basis of the bilateral free trade pact.
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