Taiwan's next foreign minister seeks 'consensus' with China

TAIPEI, April 21 Kyodo

Taiwan's Foreign Minister-designate Francisco Ou said Monday he will pursue a ''diplomatic cease-fire'' with China after taking office May 20, prompting a halt to Taipei's and Beijing's habit of using ''checkbook diplomacy'' to lure away each other's allies.

''I hope to reach an agreement with China and put in motion a reasonable, rational plan as to conducting diplomacy,'' Ou told a Taipei press conference, his first since being appointed foreign minister early Monday.

Premier-designate Liu Chao-shiuan announced Ou's appointment in a ''first-wave'' unveiling of Cabinet posts just weeks before President-elect Ma Ying-jeou of the now leading opposition Nationalist Party (KMT) takes office.

Since the island's March 22 presidential election, KMT heavyweights have been jockeying for key Cabinet spots under the victorious Ma, who seeks improved relations with rival China.

For decades, Beijing has tempted away Taipei's allies with promises of substantial aid and investment in a tit-for-tat diplomatic war of attrition.

In January, China persuaded Malawi to break ties with Taiwan and recognize China, reducing the number of countries that officially recognize Taiwan to 23, most of which are small, developing countries in South and Central America, Africa and the South Pacific.

China reportedly gave Malawi $6 billion to sever ties with Taiwan.

Taiwan has sometimes won back allies with even greater amounts of investment, aid or just cold, hard cash in a practice commonly disparaged as ''checkbook'' or ''dollar diplomacy.''

But as China rises in economic might, buying allies has become increasingly untenable as a diplomatic strategy for Taiwan, whose international space is shrinking amid a sustained, concerted effort by China to marginalize the self-ruled island.

''Make no mistake about it: China is behind most of our diplomatic problems,'' Ma said while traveling in Japan last year during his presidential campaign.

But, he added, Taiwan should seek to strike a compromise with China and conduct ''flexible diplomacy'' rather than dollar diplomacy to expand its international presence.

Ou, who currently is Taiwan's ambassador to Guatemala, echoed those sentiments Monday, expressing confidence in working with China to protect the island's diplomatic interests.

''I believe it can be done,'' he said, adding, ''For China, this vicious competition doesn't benefit them either.''

Ou did not elaborate how to achieve his proposed consensus or what concessions either side should make.

''Financial assistance,'' however, will still be given by Taipei to ''developing countries, especially our official allies,'' Ou said, calling such assistance ''our duty.''

''Poorer countries, of course, will receive more assistance. We will evaluate the giving of such assistance on a case-by-case basis,'' he added.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory that must be eventually united with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Taiwan's diplomatic activities rile China as an expression of the island's sovereignty, while Beijing seeks to curtail Taipei's participation in the international community as a means to eventually realize unification.

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