Taiwanese Foreign Minister in Belize; Decries Relations with People’s Republic

Taiwanese Foreign Minister David Lee concluded a three-day working visit to Belize this morning, his final stop being a tour of the Samuel Haynes Institute of Excellence on Mahogany Street.  As we’ve reported, Dr. Lee was in the Jewel on official business during which he signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Cooperation that will see the Republic of China on Taiwan provide sixty million dollars in grants and loans to Belize.  After visiting the foundation in the Pickstock Constituency, Minister Lee sat down for a brief Q and A with the media.  Among the questions he was asked included the abrupt severing of ties between the island nation and Panama a few weeks ago.

David Lee

Dr. David Lee, Taiwanese Foreign Minister

“Certainly we are sorry that Panama chooses the communist China as their diplomatic ally, but I always consider that we still have many friends in the Central American region and the Government of Belize is also a very special one which has long since maintained close and friendly relations with my country.  And I was assured by the prime minister and by the foreign minister over the past few days that we will continue to work together for the betterment of the Belizean people.”

Reporter

“Okay.  Are you able to speak about cross straits relations with your president and the Chinese and the heightening of tensions across the strait?”

Dr. David Lee

“We are so sorry that the other side, the communist China, they choose to take a more hostile attitude toward our government.  As you know, we are a democratically elected government and the leader of the government has to follow the will of the people and I think we want to keep our autonomy, our freedom, our way of life which I think China certainly does not quite agree with our approach.  They want us to follow the so-called One China Principle which defies the public opinion of the majority of the people of Taiwan and however, as I said earlier, that we still have many loyal friends, including this Government of Belize.”