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作者： 洪健昭 ( 2007年3月29日 16:20)
關鍵字：Taiwan foreign relations

Taiwan’s ambassador to Burkina Faso confirmed a couple of days ago that Taipei is writing a check in the amount of US$75 million for that African state.The money, according to the ambassador, will be used to develop agriculture.

Burkina Faso is one of Taiwan’s most severely cash-starved diplomatic allies.The needy country asked for financial help, and Taiwan had to comply in order just to keep it from switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing.That’s checkbook diplomacy Taiwan can ill afford.

In fact, Taiwan’s checkbook diplomacy has long gone bankrupt.The government simply has no money to play a one-upmanship game with China to halt its shrinking international recognition. China has the world’s largest foreign exchange reserves, and Chinese President Hu Jintao is capable to write a check in whatever amount he needs to compel any of Taiwan’s friends – except the Holy See – yet to defect.The Vatican doesn’t need Chinese financial assistance, of course.

And yet President Chen Shui-bian doesn’t want to throw in a towel.Aside from getting his government to give the disproportionately large check to Ouagadougou, Chen made a whirlwind trip to Managua to assure President Daniel Ortega of Taipei’s large enough financial aid to refrain Nicaragua from resuming diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.During his presidential campaign, Ortega promised to recognize Beijing again as he once did while he was president of the Central American state.

President Chen didn’t say how large the check for Ortega would be, and it certainly wasn’t a carte blanche.The Nicaraguan president is satisfied for the time being.Sooner than later, however, he would ask for more, and if Chen could not satisfy him, he would cut off official ties between Taipei and Nicaragua.Managua is likely to be a big financial black hole for President Chen’s secret diplomacy, which has already involved his wife.First lady Wu Shu-chen is standing trial for corruption because she had borrowed receipts and bills from friends and relatives to claim a NT$14.8 million reimbursement from a public fund under her husband’s control for the conduct of “affairs of state.”President Chen claims all that money and more have been spent for his secret diplomacy, the secret of which he would carry with him to his grave.

（本文刊載於96.01.15 China Post第4版，本文代表作者個人意見）

• 洪健昭

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