Taiwan will help build new arena

On his return to Belize from over a week in Asia, Prime Minister Said Musa immediately immersed himself in the education summit, delivering the keynote address at Monday night’s opening. But the trip to the Far East was not without its rewards. According to a government press release, officials in Singapore have expressed satisfaction with the police training offered at BATSUB and will continue to use the facility, which earns hard currency for Belize. The Singapore government also expressed interest in assisting Belize with the training of public officers as well as supplying a judge for the Belizean judiciary. But the real payoff occurred in Taiwan, where, according to the release, the second term government of President Chen Shui-bian has promised to help Belize construct a modern indoor sports complex, with a focus on basketball. Of course we know better than to rely on promises–how many years have we been waiting on the new track at the Marion Jones Sports Complex?–but considering the track record of the donor, we are encouraged.