Taiwan
Band Of Brothers
First Taiwan-Pacific Summit Expands Ties
Although China, New Zealand and Australia accuse Taiwan of “checkbook diplomacy,” there was no money handed out at the first Taiwan Pacific Allies Summit in Palau in early September. This contrasted sharply with the China-sponsored summit held in Fiji in April, when Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao announced a pledge of $374 million in loans to China’s seven Pacific Island allies, and also promised to cancel all debts these nations owe to China.
Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian said he didn’t bring a checkbook with him and
wasn’t planning to hand out money during the summit, which included three days of activities in Palau. Taiwan already has major aid programs in place with each of its six allies—Palau, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Kiribati and Tuvalu, and has historically been generous with aid to its diplomatic partners. But it is only in recent years—particularly since 2003 when Kiribati, which had a key
Chinese satellite tracking station that was also located in close proximity to the American missile testing range in the Marshall Islands, switched to Taiwan—that China has gone on an aid offensive with its allies.
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Aside from evident goodwill—Chen repeatedly talked about his “six brothers from the Pacific Islands” and summit host Palau President Tommy Remengesau, Jr. referred to the “camaraderie of the seven gladiators”—the summit produced a series of commitments, particularly in health cooperation.
“Tomorrow will be better than today because of what we’ve done at the summit,” Remengesau said at the close of the meetings. This followed the signing of a five-page declaration that in broad terms outlines a multitude of areas for cooperation between Taiwan and the six island nations.
“The summit was a good opportunity to expand the relationship (with Taiwan)—to elevate it to a level of consistency,” Remengesau told Pacific Magazine. “In the past, the focus was bilateral. Now we’ll find more attention to regional issues.” He says Taiwan’s purchase of a Boeing-737 for Nauru’s “Our Airline” is an example of Taiwan aid that will have regional benefit, as the airline services the Solomon Islands, Nauru, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands.
In fisheries and health, some specific plans emerged beyond broad, big-picture cooperation outlined in the closing declaration. Taiwan has agreed to establish a Taiwan-Pacific Forum on “constructive fishery partnership” with its six allies. This comes as Taiwanese fishing companies with a new generation of high-tech purse seiners are facing tougher restrictions for fishing access in the region with stepped up concern by conservation and management bodies over the health of varies tuna fisheries. Except for Papua New Guinea and the Federated States of Micronesia—both China allies that have fishing agreements with Taiwanese fishing vessels—Taiwan allies control the most lucrative fishing grounds in the Pacific.
The heads of state also agreed to establish a Taiwan-Pacific medical alliance to identify and implement long-term public health projects. This followed an all-day meeting of health ministers from the seven nations and is expected to result in
expanded training opportunities for Pacific health care professionals in Taiwan, and the dispatch of specialty doctors and nurses to island hospitals on short–and long–term assignments.
“Taiwan made long-term commitments to provide and train health and medical personnel,” says Dr. Greg Dever, the director of Palau’s Bureau of Hospital and Clinical Services. “The plan is very substantive.”
During the summit, various heads of state decried the labeling of Taiwan aid as “checkbook diplomacy.” Remengesau called Taiwan critics “unfair,” saying “it is not doing anything differently from other donors.”
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare says bluntly that “if it wasn’t for Taiwan’s aid in 2000 (during the period of civil unrest), the Solomon Islands would have ceased to exist. We treasure the relationship with Taiwan.”
The Taiwan Pacific Allies Summit is to become an annual event, with next year’s scheduled for Majuro. Countries are happy to host the event because, aside from the extra financial assistance provided by Taiwan for the summits—Taiwan funded the building of a cultural center in Koror, and is funding a convention center in Majuro—Taiwan’s presidential delegation brings along an airplane load of television, newspaper, magazine and radio reporters to cover the event, giving significant Asian exposure to each island.
