《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》Ma touts diplomatic ties, heads to Central America

VIABLE APPROACH: The president said his administration has made diplomatic progress by replacing ‘scorched-earth’ and ‘checkbook’ diplomacy with flexible strategies

/ Staff writer, with CNA

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As he departed for Central America on a seven-day visit, President Ma Ying-jeou （馬英九） yesterday said that there is “no caretaker period for diplomacy,” adding that he would continue his efforts in that field until he leaves office on May 20.

Ma is scheduled to visit Guatemala and Belize, two of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in Central America, on his 12th and final overseas trip as president. Ma began the first of his two presidential terms in May 2008.

Asked why he was making the trip just two months before he steps down, Ma said one of his priorities as president is to advance diplomacy.

There is no caretaker or interim period for diplomacy, Ma said, adding that in light of Taiwan’s diplomatic challenges, it is vital for him to make one final push.

During his eight years in office, the nation has made significant diplomatic gains by adopting a viable approach, he said.

Ma said his administration adopted a policy of flexible diplomacy and abandoned strategies such as “scorched-earth” and “checkbook” diplomacy.

Ma said he would continue to push forward with his flexible diplomacy policy until he leaves office in May.

Taiwan’s ties with the 22 countries with which it has formal diplomatic relations have been warm and stable since he took office in 2008, Ma said, adding that the Gambia is the only nation that broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan during his presidency.

However, that was a personal decision taken by Gambian President Yahya Jammeh in November 2013, Ma added.

By contrast, during the eight years of the previous administration, Taiwan gained three diplomatic allies, but lost nine, Ma said, referring to the administration of former president Chen Shui-bian （陳水扁）, the first politician from outside the Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） to become president.

Ma said his administration has spent less than the previous government on diplomacy, adding that his administration’s total allocation for diplomacy was NT$224.6 billion （US$6.82 billion） over the past eight years, compared with NT$240.9 billion spent by Chen’s administration.

Ma’s trip was to begin with a transit stop in Houston, Texas, where he was expected to meet with several members of the US Congress and visit a Formosa Plastics Group （FPG, 台塑集團） plant — FPG is the largest Taiwanese investment in the US.

Ma is scheduled to arrive in Guatemala today for talks with Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales before traveling to Belize on Thursday for meetings with Belizean Prime Minister Dean Barrow and the leaders of three Caribbean allies — St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Timothy Harris, St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, and St Lucia Prime Minister Kenny Anthony.

Ma is expected to stop over in Los Angeles before returning to Taiwan on Saturday.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES