Taiwanese General meets w/ P.M. and B.D.F. boss

The relationship between Belize and Taiwan is expected to expand in military cooperation following reciprocal official visits of leaders of the two countries’ armed forces. News Five’s Kendra Griffith has the highlights of day two of Taiwanese General, Lee Tien-yu’s second day in the country.

Kendra Griffith, Reporting
General Lee Tien-yu began his second day in Belize by inspecting the Guard of Honour at Price Barracks in Ladyville.

From there it was a brisk walk to B.D.F. Commander Lloyd Gillett?s office, where the two generals had a sit down with Minister of Defence Cordel Hyde … followed by a briefing by General Gillett on the role of the Belize Defence Force.

According to the four-star Taiwanese General, he?s here to get an up close and personal look at how Belize?s army operates.

General Lee Tien-yu, Joint Chief of Staff, Taiwan
?Translated: Belize and the Republic of China, in terms of territory, we are about the same size and in terms of military situation, we are also similar. So that?s the reason why I?m here to get a first hand understanding of the development of the Belize Defence Force.?

But while we might be the same size and are both threatened by a much bigger neighbour, that?s where the similarities end. Taiwan has a population of twenty-three million … and with more than two hundred and seventy thousand soldiers, boasts an army that?s just shy of Belize?s entire population … And then there?s the money.

Belize?s relationship with Taiwan goes back to 1989 when we established ties with the island … Since then, Taiwan and Belize have been best friends. Seventeen years and hundreds of millions of dollars later … the bond is still going strong.

Kendra Griffith
?What do you think Taiwan gets out of having such a close relationship with Belize??

Prime Minister Said Musa
?Well of course they are winning friends in influencing people. Taiwan, as you know, has been excluded from the United Nations some years ago when the People?s Republic of China was brought in, so Taiwan is trying to regain a seat at the United Nations as well as to belong to various international organisations. So in their collaboration with countries such as the countries of Central American, some in the Caribbean and other parts of Africa and so on, the Pacific, I believe their strategy is to win friends and influence people in terms of trying to get recognition for their country.?

General Lee Tien-yu
?Translated: We are not considering our interest. However, we want to provide this process because we share the same military situation with Belize and in Chinese we have the saying, as a friend we like to share everything we have with our friends in Belize so we can grow together.?

And now the two countries are seeking to encourage growth by exchanging military training opportunities.

General Lee Tien-yu
?Translated: We are more than willing to support to provide any process to receive training in Taiwan.?

Said Musa
?I believe it will lead to us getting quite a number of scholarships for our Belize Defence Force officers, particularly in the areas of science and technology, in medicine, as well as in engineering. We?re trying to build up our engineering corps in the Belize Defence Force and Taiwan has some of the best academies in the world in fact, comparable even to the training facilities in the United States of America.?

General Lloyd Gillett
?The Minister extended to them the opportunity to come here to Belize to do jungle training. Earlier this year they had some people and next year we?ll try and expand on the number of people they send here to Belize.?

This afternoon, General Lee was scheduled to meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs Eamon Courtenay and tour the Museum of Belize.

Kendra Griffith reporting for News Five.

General Lee Tien-yu leaves the country on Sunday.