Published: October 7, 2005
By: Shih Ying-ying
Source: Taiwan Journal
President Chen Shui-bian made an unannounced stopover Sept. 30 in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on his return trip to Taiwan after a visit to Central America and the Caribbean. The UAE has no official diplomatic relations with the ROC.
Upon arrival, Chen was given a red-carpet welcome as the ROC flag fluttered overhead at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, head of trading and economic affairs and younger brother of the UAE president, boarded Chen's plane on the tarmac to greet the president.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Tan-sun, a member of the president's entourage, said the president would discuss defense and military cooperation with UAE authorities during his 29-hour layover.
Other matters discussed by the two officials included the promotion of tourist exchanges, the opening of direct flights between the two countries, and the relocation of Taiwan's representative office from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. The latter was a proposal green-lighted by the UAE government in 2000 but stalled due to interference from China.
"With fear of dwindling oil supplies, the (UAE) government has appealed to foreign businessmen investing here to improve its tourism industry," said the president. Chen added that the UAE had expressed interest in launching a joint venture with Taiwan in the oil industry.
"Getting as close as we can to sources of crude oil is an efficient way to lower costs," Economics Minister Ho Mei-yueh commented on the potential project.
Taiwanese exports to the UAE are worth US$1.07 billion annually, with imports valued at a yearly US$1.32 billion. Approximately US$1.14 billion of that is crude oil.
During a Sept. 30 press conference in Abu Dhabi, Chen vowed that Taiwan would expand its diplomatic horizons, regardless of attempts by China to limit Taiwan's international space. According to Chen, Beijing protested to the UAE about the stopover, but it went ahead anyway because, said the president, the UAE has its own strong principles and methods to deal with the matter.
"I was really moved to see ROC national flags flying over the airport, particularly given that China has never stopped trying to prevent Taiwan from joining the international community and strengthening its relations with other countries," Chen said.
According to China's state-owned Xinhua news agency, Beijing reacted strongly to the decision by the UAE to allow Chen to visit. China's foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang was reported as saying that the UAE ignored China's strong opposition and insisted on allowing Chen to pass through and conduct political activities. This violated the UAE's commitment to sticking to the "one China" policy and brought about a negative impact on China-UAE relations, Qin said.
On his way back to Taiwan from the Middle Eastern country, Chen's travel plans took another unexpected turn due to Typhoon Longwang. The strong winds and heavy rain brought by the typhoon forced the Chiang Kai-shek (CKS) International Airport to ground all flights Oct. 2 until late in the afternoon, resulting in the detour of Chen's chartered flight to the Indonesian island of Bali. He remained on the resort island until 6 p.m. and returned to Taiwan at 11 that evening.
While staying in a Bali hotel, Chen was welcomed by Aiwi Hamu, a special advisor to Indonesian Vice President Muhammad Yusuf Kalla, who called to greet his unexpected guest. Two Indonesian parliamentarians also extended their greetings to Chen at the hotel. The president had the opportunity to meet with a group of Taiwanese businessmen working in Indonesia and discuss investment in the Southeast Asian country.
Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General James Huang said that Chen's diversion to a country having no diplomatic ties was not a calculated arrangement but "entirely due to the bad weather in Taiwan" and that the decision to land in Bali was made after serious consideration.
According to the Taiwanese media, both Singapore and the Philippines refused to allow the president's plane to find safe harbor in their territory until Typhoon Longwang had passed, citing a desire to avoid angering China.
Vice President Lu Hsiu-lien said Oct. 2 that Chen's stop in Indonesia marked another diplomatic breakthrough for Taiwan that was achieved because of the typhoon and the aid that Taiwan promised to Indonesia as tsunami relief.
In 2002, it was reported in the Indonesian media that Chen was planning a visit to the Southeast Asian country. China got wind of the plan and pressured the Indonesian government to put an end to it. Shortly thereafter, the Indonesian foreign ministry released a statement which read: "We will never welcome a visit from President Chen." Given the absolutism inherent in that statement, pundits have hailed the recent emergency stopover in Bali as a victory for "typhoon diplomacy." Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan was reported as saying Oct. 2 that China had made its position clear to Indonesia on the Taiwan leader's stopover and that the Indonesian side promised to appropriately handle the matter in strict adherence to its "one China" policy.
Upon his arrival at the CKS International Airport, Chen delivered a short speech in which he called on both the opposition and ruling parties to give more support to foreign diplomatic efforts. He said he was confident that Taiwan could find an "oasis in diplomatic deserts" so long as its people stand united and pool their resources to promote "trade diplomacy" and "humanitarian diplomacy." The president thanked the Indonesian authorities for allowing his brief stopover.
The surprise UAE visit, the Indonesia detour and the scheduled U.S. transit stops--three countries with which Taiwan does not have diplomatic relations--led to a record of eight countries that Chen visited on his whirlwind tour. The president described his unprecedented expedition as "a record-setting journey that spans 49,000 kilometers" and added, "Although the trip might be tiring and difficult, it would certainly pay off and bear fruit."
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