Taiwan yesterday continued to push back mounting international pressure to pardon Haiti’s debt as a way to help the earthquake-ravaged Caribbean ally, saying the government was still evaluating “the most appropriate” way to offer relief.
Speaking at a briefing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Deputy Spokesman James Chang (章計平) refused to confirm that Haiti owed Taiwan US$91 million, as reported by foreign press agencies.
“We are currently discussing the possibility with the banks involved in the issue. The ministry will have a statement once we have something more concrete,” Chang said.
PHOTO: YU MING-CHIN, TAIPEI TIMES
Sources said at least two Taiwanese banks are Haiti’s creditors. One of them is speculated to be the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.
As the major player of the Paris Club, France has called on Venezuela and Taiwan, Haiti’s two biggest creditors, to forgive the debt owed to them.
The UK has also made the same rally cry.
In a recent letter, British Financial Secretary of the Treasury Stephen Timms wrote: “We are calling on all bilateral creditors of Haiti, especially Taiwan and Venezuela, to urgently provide the debt relief expected under Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative.”
MOFA’s Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Deputy Director-General Abel Lin (林正惠) said the ministry was also doing what it can to help the 30- plus Haitian students currently studying in Taiwan.
One Haitian student, Nadjya Joseph, who is currently studying at Taipei Medical University, on Wednesday left with Taiwanroot Medical Peace Corp on a medical mission to her hometown.
Lin said Taiwan would dispatch at least three additional medical and humanitarian teams to meet the healthcare needs of the earthquake victims.
The first Taiwan search and rescue team sent to Haiti is expected to return tomorrow. The team was able to find two survivors.
Chang said the team’s professionalism and efficiency won accolades from their foreign counterparts, as well as the UN. In a letter sent to Taiwan’s representative in Washington, the UN’s Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs praised Taiwan’s rescue team and said it was “doing a great job,” Chang said.
Despite being Haiti’s ally and an eager participant in the relief work, Taiwan might still be excluded from a UN-organized donor’s conference on Monday in Montreal. MOFA so far has declined to confirm that Taiwan had not been invited to the conference, saying only that “we are trying our best” to attend the meeting.
Meanwhile, Haiti’s embassy in Taiwan yesterday asked for donations, such as clothes, medical supplies, medicine and camping gear. Those who want to donate, can take their donations to the embassy in Tianmu (天母), or drop them off at the Red Cross Society of World Vision, it said.
The embassy also opened an account at Mega International Commercial Bank for cash donations. The account numbers are 021-53-04300-2 or 021-09-00933-1, which belong to The Embassy of the Republic of Haiti.
In related news, TVBS reported yesterday that Taiwan’s C-130 cargo plane, in a mission to transport medical supplies and other commodities to Haiti, was refueled at a non-ally country during its direct flight from Taiwan to the earthquake-stricken nation. The C-130 cargo plane is a military plane painted with Taiwan’s national emblem. When asked by TVBS for comment, MOFA spokesman Henry Chen (陳銘政) said: “We have no information on this issue at the moment.”
The Ministry of National Defense also declined to comment.
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