A pair of “Confidential” diplomatic cables from the American Institute in Taiwan dated August 23-24, 2006, reveal a close relationship between the United States and the administration of Chen Shui-bian, former President of the Republic of China in-exile.
Chen is now serving a lengthy prison sentence on corruption charges following a controversial trial marred by a mocking skit performed by court personnel. Last year Chen told EXAMINER during an interview at his jail that he was innocent of the charges and had done nothing either his successor or predecessor had done with campaign funds and expense accounts.
The new WikiLeaks disclosures are from AIT Director Stephen Young and report on a meeting with ROC Foreign Minister James Huang.
Huang had just returned from a trip to Central America to shore up the recognition status of Panama, Costa Rica, and Honduras: “Huang explained that economic development and humanitarian assistance programs, the bulwark of Taiwan’s with Panama, Costa Rica and Honduras, will become the basis of Taiwan’s efforts to create a new, more substantive foreign policy, one less focused on world-wide jousting with Beijing for diplomatic partners. Other officials, however, are less optimistic that Huang can transform Taiwan’s “dollar diplomacy” in the face of the Chad setback and Chen Shui-bian’s embattled presidency.”
Young asked Huang if the break in relations with Chad and the ROC had an influence on the new diplomatic approach. “FM Huang responded that Taiwan needed a new foreign policy strategy, one that reflected what Taiwan could offer the world.”
“Huang told the Director, Taiwan would continue focusing on its relations with the U.S., “the most important of Taiwan’s important relations.”
“The Director expressed appreciation for Taiwan assistance on proliferation and terrorism issues, stressing that it was important for the U.S. and Taiwan to continue working closely together.”
Mutual concerns about Nicaragua were aired and Young told Huang, “to keep Taiwan low-key toward the Nicaraguan elections.”
Young mentioned a report he received from Ambassador Garcia of Nicaragua, “Garcia admitted that contributions from foreign businessmen were legal under Nicaraguan law, but cautioned that any sign the Taiwan government was trying to influence the contest would be received very badly within his country.”
Thus far only three of the 3,456 diplomatic cables from the AIT in Taipei to the State Department in Washington, D.C. under control of WikiLeaks have been released. The first cable revealed by WikiLeaks was about U.S. concerns over lax ROC export controls over munitions.
Source: Michael Richardson - Boston Progressive Examiner
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