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Taiwan 2001 |
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Foreign Relations |
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BilateralismThe ROC maintains full diplomatic relations with 29 countries. On the basis of pragmatic diplomacy and mutual interest, the ROC continues to establish diplomatic ties or substantive relations with other countries, maintaining 89 representative offices in the capitals and major commercial centers of 62 countries. Although these offices carry various names, such as "Taipei Representative Office," "Taipei Economic and Cultural Office," or "Trade Mission of the Republic of China," they all perform most of the functions of embassies and consulates general. A total of 46 countries that do not have formal diplomatic relations with the ROC have established 54 representative offices or visa issuing centers in Taiwan. (For complete lists of ROC embassies and representative offices abroad and foreign embassies and offices in the ROC, see appendices IV and V.)
East Asia and the PacificTaiwan is strategically located in the West Pacific; therefore, the security and prosperity of the ROC is directly related to the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region. The MOFA's Department of East Asia and the Pacific is responsible for the area from Japan and Korea in the north to Australia and New Zealand in the south, and from India in the west to the islands of the Central and South Pacific in the east, except for the Chinese mainland and Mongolia. At present, the ROC maintains diplomatic relations with the Solomon Islands, the Republic of Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Nauru, Tuvalu, and the Republic of Palau. In addition, the ROC has signed communiques of mutual recognition with Papua New Guinea and the Republic of Vanuatu and maintains substantive relations with the rest of the countries of the region through 14 representative offices and nine branch offices. There are many potential areas of instability in the Asia-Pacific region, such as the Korean Peninsula, the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, the Indian subcontinent, and the Chinese mainland. Countries in the region are generally committed to economic development, and economic interdependence and mutual economic interests help to reduce potential conflict. The ROC promotes regional integration in a number of venues. The most important is APEC, of which the ROC is a full member. Since the APEC membership includes countries from the Americas, as well as Russia, it is discussed in the "Multilateralism" section. The ROC is also a member of the Asian Development Bank, contributing both financial support and its own experience to the development of the region. Although the ROC is not yet a full member of the most prominent "track two" security mechanism, the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific (CSCAP), experts from Taiwan participate individually. Northeast AsiaNortheast Asia, including Japan and the Korean Peninsula, has had close ties with Taiwan throughout history. The ROC's security dialogue and regional cooperation with Northeast Asian countries strengthen the security and prosperity of all of Asia. Japan is the ROC's second largest trading partner and maintains unofficial substantive relations with the ROC under the terms of the 1972 Japan-China Joint Communique. The ROC has welcomed Japan's unwillingness to bend that framework in the Chinese mainland's favor by refusing to oppose Taiwan's entry into international organizations. In May 1999 Japan passed legislation on the US-Japan Defense Guidelines. The Chinese mainland has repeatedly asked Japan to exclude Taiwan from a chapter on cooperation in cases of "situations in areas surrounding Japan"; however, Japan has insisted on the need for flexibility in this regard. Japan has repeatedly expressed its expectation that disputes between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait be resolved through peaceful dialogue, as noted in statements by both Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and Minister of Foreign Affairs Yohei Kono after the ROC's March 2000 presidential election. Prior to the inauguration of President Chen, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade expressed the hope that there would be an opportunity to develop bilateral relations in a pragmatic manner. There have been increased contacts and exchanges between the two countries, culminating in the Korea-Taiwan Economic Cooperative Council, a grouping of business leaders that met in November 2000 for the first time since formal diplomatic relations were broken. Discussions were also held on accelerating the process of restoring full air links and cooperating on economic exchanges with North Korea. Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia has become a globally important economic region. Historic, cultural, and geographic factors, the presence of strong overseas Chinese communities, and complementary economic conditions have all contributed to close ties between the ROC and Southeast Asia. The ROC has seven representative offices and a branch office in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. In addition, the ROC has promoted the "go south" policy of investment in Southeast Asia to enhance economic ties and mutual interests with the region. To promote economic links, the ROC has signed agreements on the protection of investments, avoidance of double taxation, customs cooperation, agricultural cooperation, technical cooperation, tourism cooperation, and aviation rights with most of the nations of Southeast Asia. In addition, since the region is the major source of foreign workers in Taiwan (see Labor), the ROC has signed labor agreements with relevant countries. Regular meetings are also held with these countries to promote bilateral substantive relations. In order to strengthen its comprehensive exchanges with various countries, the ROC will continue to focus on expanding substantive relations in trade, culture, and technology through regular channels and mutual visits by high-ranking government officials. Highlights in 2000 included the visit of Minister of Transportation and Communications Yeh Chu-lan ¸µâÄõ to Manila for talks with Philippine President Estrada in October, following the successful resolution of the aviation dispute between the two countries. As the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is expanding its membership and moving to promote regional trade, the ROC is seeking closer contacts and bilateral relations with most of the members of ASEAN through collective contacts in APEC and other venues. The eventual goal is to become an ASEAN dialogue partner and a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum political dialogue. South AsiaThe ROC's diplomatic efforts in this region focus on its largest nation, India, which hosts the ROC's only representative office in South Asia. Since the mutual establishment of representative offices in 1995, bilateral trade and investment have steadily improved with bilateral trade now exceeding US$980 million per year. Investment and tourism from Taiwan to India have also increased. To serve its nationals and protect their interests, the ROC and India signed the Agreement on Promotion and Protection of Mutual Investments. The ROC will continue to strengthen its trade relations with India and promote the Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation, the Agreement on Customs Deposits for Temporary Admission of Goods, and the Agreement on Civil Aviation. At the same time, the ROC will actively enhance its relations with the other countries in South Asia. OceaniaOceania consists of the continent of Australia and the island states of the South Pacific. Except for Australia and New Zealand, the economies in the region remain underdeveloped. To improve living standards, the ROC has signed technical cooperation agreements with the Solomon Islands, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, and Papua New Guinea. In addition, given the importance of fisheries to these countries' economies and the extent of Taiwan fishing activity in the region, the ROC has signed a number of agreements with these countries to regulate fishing. In 2000, fishing agreements were signed with Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Substantive relations with Australia, the largest country in the region, have been historically strong and have been further reinforced in recent years by economic and people-to-people contacts. The ROC-Australia Bilateral Economic Consultations, which resumed in 1999, continued in July 2000, as did talks on investment, energy, etc. At the 16th joint meeting of ROC-Australia Business Council and the Australia-Taiwan Business Council in September 2000, agreements on scientific cooperation, biotechnology, and electronic commerce were signed. A total of 16 countries in the region are members of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). The organization holds an annual summit of heads of government, after which dialogue partners from outside the region are invited to participate in the "post-Forum dialogue." At the PIF's 23rd annual meeting on the Solomon Islands in 1992, a resolution was passed allowing "Taiwan/the Republic of China" to participate in the "post-Forum dialogue." Since then, the ROC has sent a delegation each year and has provided economic aid, technological assistance, and educational training through the organization, further strengthening its relations with South Pacific nations. Following the November summit, the PIF Secretariat led a delegation from 10 Pacific Island countries to Taiwan to discuss investment links. West AsiaThe region of West Asia covers a wide expanse of land, from Pakistan in the east to Turkey in the west and from Russia in the north to Yemen in the south. It includes the Arab world outside North Africa, as well as the nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The ROC has traditionally maintained strong ties with both the Arab states, from which it imports much of its oil, as well as with Israel and Turkey. During the Cold War, the ROC and the Soviet Union strictly avoided any contact with each other; however, with the collapse of the USSR, the creation of 12 newly independent states and their democratization, a new diplomatic area has been opened for the ROC. Since the ROC cannot develop relations with all 29 countries in West Asia, its diplomatic strategy in this region prioritizes the more influential countries and those that are economically complementary. In the future, the ROC hopes to continue its economic cooperation and cultural exchanges with countries in West Asia on the basis of equality, reciprocity, and mutual respect in order to develop comprehensive bilateral relations. The ROC has established representative offices in 10 West Asian countries, including Bahrain, Belarus, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. Israel, Jordan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey maintain offices in Taipei. In addition, the ROC has regular contacts with Iran, Lebanon, Qatar, and Ukraine. The ROC also maintains contacts with a number of significant regional organizations in West Asia. The ROC Chapter of the World League for Freedom and Democracy and the Taipei Economic and Trade Mission in Minsk meet frequently with the Executive Secretariat of the CIS, and Ivan Korotchenya, First Deputy Executive Secretary, visited the ROC in 1999. In the Muslim world, the primary intergovernmental organization is the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). The ROC plans to cooperate with OIC's Islamic Development Bank, following the pattern of its cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The Muslim World League (MWL) is a non-governmental organization; however, as the leader of Muslim organizations worldwide, it exerts great influence on Islamic affairs worldwide. Dr. Abdullah Salih Al-Obaid, MWL Secretary General, visited the ROC in June 2000 and met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Hung-mao ¥Ð¥°Z. A month later, Rahmatullah E. Ahmed, Director of the Office of MWL Secretary General, visited Taiwan to discuss the exhibition of Islamic cultural items at the Museum of World Religions in Taipei (scheduled to open in June 2001). In addition, the MWL is studying the sponsorship of international events with the Chinese Muslim Association in Taiwan. These interactions are good examples of how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can coordinate and promote relations between the ROC's private religious organizations and Muslim countries in the Middle East, serving as a model for the ROC's diplomacy through religious contacts. In addition to these efforts, educational, religious, and cultural exchanges between the ROC and West Asia continued to grow in 2000. Major activities included participation by a group of Taiwan Muslims in the annual haj pilgrimage; an exhibition in Taipei of contemporary fine arts of Saudi Arabia; two photo exhibitions held by the Taipei Representative Office in Moscow; and the "Seminar on Taiwan's Presidential Election and Regional Security of East Asia," jointly sponsored by the Taipei Representative Office in Moscow and the Institute of Asian and African Studies of Moscow State University. In May 2000, the Han Tang Classical Music Institute from Taiwan performed at the International Theatrical Festival "Gold Lion 2000" in Kiev, Ukraine, and Moscow State University and National Taiwan University signed a Memorandum of Agreement to enhance substantive bilateral exchanges. In July, five research fellows of the Russian Academy of Sciences came to Taiwan to attend the discussion on Sino-Russia Technology Cooperation and signed a memorandum of technical cooperation with the Industrial Technology Research Institute. Many leaders from West Asia, including Vitaly Vidiapin, President of the Plekhanov Russian Academy of Economics; Alex Shabalin, editor-in-chief of Belarus Monthly; Victor Skopenko, President of the Ukraine University of Kiev; Refaiddin Sahin, President of the Turkey-Taiwan Foundation; Turkish MPs Zeki Ertugay, Evren Bulut, and Mukerrem Levent; and Mrs. Anat Maor, member of the Israeli Knesset, attended the inauguration of President Chen Shui-bian.
AfricaAfrica's political and economic scene has recently experienced many structural changes. Despite the persistence of ethnic, religious, and regional conflicts, democratization continues to advance over most of the continent. In the 1990s, 38 of Africa's 53 countries held multiparty presidential or parliamentary elections. South Africa peacefully transferred power to the black majority, and Nigeria, the most populous African nation, elected its second president since returning to civilian rule after many years under a military regime. Senegal, a major ally of the ROC in West Africa, held presidential elections in March 2000, resulting in the first victory by an opposition party. Regional integration has also been enhanced, with several African political leaders suggesting the strengthening of the current Organization of African Unity, or even the creation of an "African Union."Whether democratization can help Africa's development, however, remains to be seen. Economically, Africa's overall GNP is still less than 2.5 percent of the global GNP, even though its population of 756 million is 12 percent of the world's. Rapid population growth, dependency on imported food, and heavy foreign debt burdens are major obstacles to the development of African countries, and Africa's long-term economic development prospects may not be promising until these and other fundamental issues are resolved. Since 1990, most of the countries with which the ROC established new diplomatic relations were in Africa, despite a concerted effort by the Chinese mainland to obstruct ROC foreign relations in the region. For example, Beijing hosted the first Forum of Sino-African Cooperation in October 2000, to which the ROC's diplomatic partners were also invited as "observers." However, nearly all of them rejected the invitation. Judging from the development experience over the past few decades, the ROC can combine the strength of its private sector to actively promote its diplomacy in Africa. Eight African nations maintain official diplomatic relations with the ROC: Burkina Faso, Chad, The Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, and Swaziland. The ROC maintains embassies in all of these countries, and they all also have embassies in Taipei. In addition, the ROC has representative missions in Mauritius and Nigeria, as well as liaison offices in Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Cape Town in South Africa. Nigeria and South Africa have set up commercial offices in Taipei to promote substantive relations with the ROC. Trade between the ROC and Africa, although small, is growing. The 1999 volume was US$3.5 billion, accounting for only 1 percent of the ROC's total export trade, but up 3 percent from 1998. Exports to Africa reached US$1.29 billion, with South Africa as the destination for 45 percent of the total. Other major export destinations are Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, Mauritius, and Tunisia. Imports from Africa reached US$2.2 billion, of which South Africa was the source of 32 percent of the total, followed by Congo, Angola, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Cote d'Ivoire. In addition to the ROC's embassies and representative offices, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has also established an office in Cote d'Ivoire, while the China External Trade Development Council (CETRA) maintains offices in Egypt and Morocco to promote bilateral economic and trade relations. Technical and medical cooperation is one of the most important elements of bilateral relations between the ROC and its allies in Africa. The ROC sent technical cooperation and assistance missions to Africa in the 1960s under "Operation Vanguard." Since then, it has sent numerous agricultural, fishery, and other technical missions to Africa to help develop self-sufficiency, particularly in food production. In view of the ROC's growing economic strength and its policy of actively contributing to the international community, the scope of foreign aid is expanding and its means diversifying (see "Development Cooperation"). During the second half of 1999 and in 2000, there were 14 ROC technical cooperation missions in Africa, including eight agricultural technical missions, four medical missions, one handcraft mission, and one vocational training advisory mission with a total of over 100 experts. The budget for that period was NT$724.97 million for the implementation of 25 projects. In order to consolidate relations with allied nations in Africa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organizes high-ranking official visits to these nations. In August 2000, President Chen Shui-bian led a delegation including the Minister of Economic Affairs, the Chairman of the Council of Agricultural Affairs, legislators, and leaders of the business community to The Gambia, Burkina Faso, and Chad. During this visit, the first by an ROC president to West Africa, President Chen met and signed joint communiques with each of the three heads of state and visited several bilateral cooperation projects, successfully promoting the ROC's democratic achievements and elevating its visibility in the international community. In return, important leaders of these nations regularly visit the ROC. The inauguration of President Chen in May 2000 was attended by the King of Swaziland; the vice presidents of The Gambia, Liberia, and Malawi; the prime minister of Chad; and the foreign ministers of Burkina Faso and Sao Tome and Principe. In addition, Liberian President Charles Taylor, two prime ministers, one parliamentary speaker, and nine ministers from African allies visited Taiwan in 2000. In the future, the government will increase academic exchanges of scholars and students with African institutions.
EuropeThe ROC has maintained close commercial, cultural, technology, educational, and tourism relations with the nations of Western Europe. Cordial substantive relations are enhanced by mutual visits of key political leaders. The ROC warmly welcomed the dismantling of the Berlin Wall and the restoration of democracy in the countries of the former Warsaw Pact. In recent years, the ROC has promoted friendly relations with Central European, Balkan, and Baltic States. (Other states of the former Soviet Union are discussed under "West Asia." The ROC's political and social reconstruction experiences are valuable examples for these countries. Relations with Europe are conducted both bilaterally and with European institutions, especially the European Union (EU). Currently, the ROC has 27 representative offices in Europe, including embassies in the Holy See and Macedonia. It maintains representative offices in the capitals of each of the 15 EU members and the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, Poland, and Switzerland, as well as in Edinburgh, Geneva, Hamburg, and Munich. The Holy See and Macedonia maintain embassies in the ROC. Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland have also established representative offices in Taipei. Moreover, the EU Commission and the ROC have agreed in principle to establish representative offices in Taipei and Brussels. Interparliamentary exchanges with Eastern Europe have become increasingly important to ROC-Europe relations. At present, 20 European nations and the European Parliament (EP) have established parliamentary groupings to promote ties with the ROC. The EP in particular, with its strong interest in human rights and democracy, has on several occasions adopted resolutions in favor of the ROC, supporting for example its right to participate in international organizations. Most recently, after the presidential election in Taiwan, the EP adopted a resolution praising the ROC's democratic achievements and asking the Chinese mainland to peacefully resolve issues relating to Taiwan. In addition, the resolution called on the EU member states and the European Commission to strengthen their relations with the ROC, including the early establishment of a Commission representative office in Taipei. The ROC has signed over 100 agreements, protocols, and memoranda with 22 European countries and the EU. Significant agreements signed in 2000 included an agreement on mutual recognition of intellectual property rights with the UK; an energy cooperation pact with Denmark; a trilateral agreement between the ROC, Latvia, and Lithuania on scientific cooperation; an agreement on the mutual granting of patent priority rights with the Netherlands; and three agreements on developing relations with Macedonia: the "Agreement on the Establishment of the Free Economic Zone in Skopje," the "Agreement on the Establishment of the Economic Development Fund," and the "Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Cooperation in the Field of Defense." The ROC government welcomes participation by European multilateral financial institutions. To date, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (NT$2.32-2.62 billion), the Nordic Investment Bank (NT$10 billion), the European Investment Bank (NT$1.2 billion), and the Council of Europe Social Development Fund (NT$6 billion), have issued bonds in Taiwan to expand their sources of funds. Prominent visitors from Taiwan to Europe in 2000 included former President Lee Teng-hui, who traveled to the UK in June and to the Czech Republic to participate in the conference of world leaders hosted by Czech President Vaclav Havel in October. Foreign Minister Tien Hung-mao also focused on European relations and made two trips to the region: one to the Holy See and Macedonia in June, and the other to Italy, France, and Belgium in September. The first Taiwan-Spain Economic Meeting was held in Madrid in January, establishing a policy dialogue with that country. Former Polish President and Nobel Laureate Lech Walesa attended the inauguration of President Chen to express his support for democracy on Taiwan. He was joined by a Macedonian delegation consisting of Parliament Speaker Savo Klimovski, Deputy Prime Minister Bedredin Ibrahimi, and Urban Planning and Construction Minister Dusko Kadievski. Other notable European visitors to Taipei included Danish Folketing Presidium member Paul Nodgaard in October and Latvian Education and Science Minister Karlis Greiskalns in November. North AmericaUnited StatesThe United States plays a special role in the ROC's foreign policy. Not only has it continuously been Taiwan's largest trading partner, but the ROC looks to the US to continue its historical role of maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. People-to-people ties are strong, primarily due to the large community of Chinese-Americans, and the two countries share a wide range of political and cultural values. The ROC's democratic development has earned the praise of the American people. This was never more clear than in 2000, when both countries held presidential elections. At the time of the ROC's election, US President Bill Clinton stated "...the issue between Beijing and Taiwan must be resolved peacefully and with the assent of the people of Taiwan." Likewise, the people on Taiwan followed the 2000 US elections and were optimistic that the new Bush administration would further expand relations. The political links between the ROC and the US are consolidated through extensive mutual exchanges among legislators, local governments, and political parties. Twenty-four US states have established representative offices in Taipei to promote commercial and cultural ties, and 140 US counties and cities have established sister city relationships with local governments in Taiwan. Representatives of the ROC's major political parties participated as observers in the 2000 conventions of both the Democratic and Republican Parties, meeting with key political leaders and major foreign policy advisors of the two presidential candidates. Future efforts will concentrate on increasing contacts and exchanges with private organizations in the US, including the religious community, labor unions, and NGOs. The US is the ROC's largest trading partner, and in 1999 the ROC was the seventh largest trading partner of the US and the eighth largest importer of US products (whereas the Chinese mainland only ranked eleventh). In other words, the Taiwan market is very important to many US industries. For example, the ROC is the fifth largest market for US agriculture products, consuming more US produce per capita than any other country in the world. "The Agricultural Goodwill Mission from Taiwan, ROC to the US" visited the US from May to June 2000 and signed letters of intent to purchase 15.5 million tons of agricultural products in 2000 and 2001. In addition, the ROC is the ninth largest foreign purchaser of US Treasury Notes and Bonds. Substantive relations are currently conducted under the framework of
the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, the 1982 "six assurances," and the
1994 Taiwan Policy Review. In 2000, high-level visits between the two
countries continued. On The most prominent Taiwanese visitors to the US in 2000 were President Chen Shui-bian in August and Vice President Annette Lu the following month. Both were provided transit visas based on the principles of "safety, comfort and convenience," en route to Central America. While both visits were restricted to "informal" levels by the US government, the limitations on President Chen's conduct, which prevented even private meetings with US citizens, were considered excessive. In addition, Foreign Minister Tien Hung-mao made his first visit to the US in December, giving an address at the University of Wisconsin, his alma mater. The Taiwan Relations Act obligates the US to "make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability." In September 2000, the US Department of Defense announced its annual package of arms sales to Taiwan, totaling US$1.3 billion worth of arms, including 200 advanced AMRAAM missiles for Taiwan's F-16 fighters. The US House of Representatives, in a clear statement that the US should do even more to help Taiwan defend itself, adopted the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act (TSEA) in February 2000 by a vote of 341-70. In a related move, a provision for prior consultation of the executive branch with Congress before each round of arms sales talks with Taiwan was incorporated into the "FY 2001 Foreign Operations and Appropriations Act" and adopted by both houses of Congress in October. The Taiwan Policy Review also requires the US to "support Taiwan's membership in international organizations accepting non-states as members and look for ways to have Taiwan's voice heard in organizations of states where Taiwan's membership is not possible." In September 2000, President Clinton supported the ROC's entry into the WTO and rejected attempts by the Chinese mainland authorities to have the ROC labeled as a "customs territory of China." However, official support for the ROC's participation in other bodies has been less forthcoming, although the US Congress has repeatedly urged support for the ROC's WHO bid. For example, in October 2000 a resolution calling for "appropriate, meaningful participation" for the ROC in the United Nations was passed unanimously by both houses of Congress. CanadaThe relationship between the ROC and Canada is based on long-standing economic, cultural, and social ties. Canada is one of the ROC's top emigration destinations, and the ROC has become Canada's 6th largest source of tourists, with 157,940 ROC citizens traveling to Canada in 1999. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office maintains good communication and contacts with the Canadian government, and, with the assistance of two branch offices in Toronto and Vancouver, with the provincial governments. British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec have set up trade representative offices in the ROC. Parliamentary exchanges have also grown rapidly in recent years, following democratization on Taiwan. The Parliament of Canada has established the Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group, and delegations of Canadian MPs visit the ROC regularly. Three such groups came in 2000, including the delegation to the inauguration of President Chen. The most important bilateral meeting in 2000 was the 14th Joint Meeting of Canada-Taiwan Business Councils, which was held in Vancouver at the end of May, with more than two hundred officials and business leaders from both countries in attendance. In addition, Canadian Nobel Laureate economist Robert Mundell visited Taipei in March, meeting with both President Lee Teng-hui and President-elect Chen. At the local government level, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou visited Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver in February. In commemoration of the great contributions to Taiwan made by Canadian missionary George Leslie Mackay, his birthplace of Oxford County, Ontario, established a sister city relationship with Tamsui Township, Taipei County, where he had spent much of his life. Latin America and the CaribbeanAmong the 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries, the ROC maintains full diplomatic relations with 14. To further consolidate relations with these allies and to increase mutual understanding and friendship, the ROC government promotes mutual visits by the heads of states and other high-ranking officials. Regular summit meetings are also held with Latin American and the Caribbean countries to discuss joint cooperation programs in the areas of economic, cultural and technological development. The ROC continues to strengthen its exchanges with diplomatic allies in this region on news, culture, and sports. The ROC has established embassies in the capitals of each of its allies in the region and maintains consulates general in Oriental City in Paraguay, Colon in Panama, and San Pedro Sula in Honduras. In turn, ten of these nations have embassies in Taipei, and St. Christopher and Nevis has posted a non-resident ambassador to the ROC. As the region is gaining importance in world affairs, the ROC is steadily expanding substantive relations and trade, technical, cultural, and tourism exchanges with the rest of the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The ROC has established unofficial representative offices in ten of these countries. Seven of these ten countries have also opened offices in Taipei to handle trade and visa affairs. In addition, the ROC is increasing its participation in regional international organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean. Currently, the ROC has observer status at the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) and the Forum of the Presidents of the Legislative Powers of Central America (FOPREL). On February 1, 2000, the ROC officially became an observer with the System for the Integration of Central America (SICA), the first observer from outside the Western Hemisphere. Moreover, to enhance the ROC's contribution to the development of the region, the ICDF has established formal working relations with the Inter-American Development Bank and the Central American Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The "Third Wave" of democracy has also been felt quite strongly in Latin America and the Caribbean. Since the late 1980s, military dictatorships have nearly disappeared from the region and consolidation of democratization has become a focus of the ROC's relations with the region. One step in this regard is the growth of parliamentary cooperation and exchanges. Seven countries in the region have established parliamentary friendship associations with the ROC, including Guatemala (1991), the Dominican Republic (1991), Panama (1997), Brazil (1999), Argentina (1997), Peru (1999), and Chile (2000). A number of major events in the year 2000 indicated a further strengthening of ties between the ROC and the region. Perhaps the most prominent was the visit by President Chen Shui-bian to attend the inauguration ceremony of the President of the Dominican Republic and the state visits to Nicaragua and Costa Rica. This first official foreign trip by President Chen underscored the new government's commitment to its ties with the region, which was further reinforced a month later when Vice President Annette Lu headed a second delegation to El Salvador, Honduras, Belize, and Guatemala. Other important ROC officials who traveled to the region included Chen Ruey-long, Director General of the Board of Foreign Trade, who led the "2000 Trade and Investment Mission to South America" to Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina. In mid-April, Lin Ki-tseng, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited Dominica and St. Christopher and Nevis. Tsai Hsung-hsiung, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Administration, participated in the Integrated Environmental Planning for Sustainable Development in Central America in El Salvador in late May and signed the joint declaration after the meeting. Local governments were also active exchange partners. Kaohsiung County Magistrate Yu Cheng-hsian traveled to Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil in March, establishing a sister city relationship with the Central Province of Paraguay. Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou traveled to Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama in August. These visits were more than reciprocated by many countries of the region. In early August, the foreign ministers of Taiwan's four Eastern Caribbean allies came to Taipei for a summit with Foreign Minister Tien and signed a communique on future cooperation and support for Taiwan's entry to international organizations. In November, for the first time, the FOPREL held its regular semiannual meeting outside of the region. The heads of the six Central American parliaments were invited to Taipei by Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng. A large number of dignitaries from Central and South America attended President Chen Shui-bian's inauguration. Heads of state and government included Arnoldo Aleman Lacayo, President of the Republic of Nicaragua; Vernon Shaw, President of the Commonwealth of Dominica; Colville Young, Governor-General of Belize; Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada; and James F. Mitchell, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In addition, the vice presidents of Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama joined the celebrations, along with Jose Ernesto Somarriba Sosa, President of the Central American Parliament. Other visitors throughout the year included Haitian Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis, Costa Rican Legislative Assembly President Carlos Eduardo Vargas, and Colombian Conservative Party President Enrique Gomez Hurtado in January; Antonio Guerra, President of the Foreign Commission of the Colombian Senate, in February; St. Vincent Finance Minister Arnhim Eustace in March; Peruvian Congress members Beatriz Merino, Javier Diaz-Canseco Cisneros, and Anel Townsend-Canseco in April; Nicaraguan Vice President Enrique Bolanos Geyer in June; Panamanian President Mireya Elisa Moscoso Rodriguez and Jose Rolando Quesada, Presidente del Organismo Judicial De la Corte Suprema de Jusdicia of Guatemala, in July; a delegation of Panamanian legislators, headed by Legislative Assembly President Enrique Garrido, in August; and Benjamin Higuita, Vice President of the Colombian Camara de Diputados, in October. Haitian President Rene; Preval and Grenadan Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, attended the ROC National Day celebrations in October 2000. In addition to these official exchanges, cultural and sports exchanges have also been increasing. In 2000, cultural highlights included the Caribbean tour of the Taiwan Aboriginal Cultural Park performance troupe in August and a series of concerts by Taiwan pianist Linda Yeh in South America in September. Sports cooperation has focussed on sending coaches to several of the ROC's regional partners to assist them in developing their sports programs.
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