Taiwan President will visit Belize

Sworn in today for a second four-year term as President of Taiwan was Chen Shui-bian and among the foreign leaders gathered for the occasion was Belizean Prime Minister Said Musa. Prior to the event, Musa and Chen held a short private meeting at which Chen accepted an invitation to visit Belize before the end of the year. Rounding out the Belizean delegation were Attorney General Eamon Courtenay, Ambassadors William Quinto and Stuart Leslie, and Senator Barry Bowen. Much of Chen’s inaugural address dealt with relations with the People’s Republic of China. That mainland giant, the world’s most populous nation, has let it be known that it would be extremely upset by any unilateral efforts by Taiwan to change the status quo between the two governments.