Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) officials yesterday said that the ministry would seek lawmakers' support for offering debt reductions to Taiwan's allies, but stressed the plan was not the same as canceling the debt.
Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (黃志芳) said on Wednesday that he had ordered the ministry's Department of Economy and Trade to draw up plans that provide debt reduction to the nation's allies, but that the plans would not be completed in time for the summit that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) will attend next month.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yang Tzu-pao (楊子葆) said yesterday that offering poor countries debt relief was a global trend.
"Most highly indebted countries borrow money from a number of different countries. Therefore, if we want to offer them a debt reduction, we need to communicate with the other debtor nations first," Yang said.
"MOFA will hold a public hearing in the legislature and seek the support of lawmakers and the Taiwanese people before proceeding," Yang said.
Yang also stressed that debt reduction did not equal cancelation.
"Debt reduction actually includes the extension of repayments or remission of interest," Yang said. "It will not do us any good to force poor nations to pay back what they cannot afford."
About 10 allies qualify for debt reduction, but MOFA will control the evaluation of priority and would seek consensus before implementing any plan, Yang said.
As for repayment terms for countries that have broken off diplomatic ties with Taiwan, Yang said that MOFA would assure that the terms are met through international law.
"For example, despite severing diplomatic relations, South Africa has been making loan repayments consistently and on time," Yang said.
Lawmakers were divided on the issue.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Jih-Chu (李紀珠) said that she personally supported the idea.
"I would back debt-relief as long as it doesn't give our allies the impression that they do not need to pay back debts to Taiwan in the future," she said.
People First Party (PFP) Legislator Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁) said that the party would reject MOFA's plan, whatever the details.
"We are strongly opposed to offering debt-relief in order to maintain diplomatic relationships with allies, unless it is demonstrated that those allies cannot survive without such a debt-relief plan," Fu said.
PFP Legislator Daniel Hwang (黃義交) questioned MOFA's motives.
"It can't be just because debt-relief is an international trend. It [the plan] follows the severance of relations with Costa Rica and rumors that the president has met difficulties in arranging next month's trip to Latin American," Hwang said.
Hwang said that the country would come under fire if the international community finds out that Taiwan has ulterior motives in proposing the plan.
Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Kuo Lin-yung (郭林勇) said that MOFA has to give due consideration to the plan.
"The ministry should tell the public how effective the plan would be in terms of consolidating the nation's relationships with its allies," Kuo said.
Kuo said that his party would support the plan as long as it simply prolongs the repayment period of outstanding loans, but would not support simply writing off any outstanding debt.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS