Taiwan president visits Panama, Nicaragua to cement ties (Roundup)

Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou left Monday to visit Panama and Nicaragua in order cement ties with the two Central American nations - among the 23 nations that recognize Taipei. The main purpose of Ma's trip is to attend the inauguration of Panama's President-elect Riocardo Martinelli Wednesday. Ma will visit Nicaragua on Thursday and Friday. Ma had also intended to visit Honduras, but cancelled at the last moment due to the military coup which toppled Honduran President Manuel Zelaya on Sunday. In his pre-departure speech at the Taoyuan International Airport, Ma said the purpose of his trip is to strengthen friendship and cooperation with Panama and Nicaragua. 'We launched diplomatic ties with Panama as early as 1909. I hope to further promote our friendship with Panama. I will also visit Nicaragua and extend the friendship from Taiwan to Nicaragua's president and its people,' he said. Ma said that since he took office on May 20, 2008, he has adopted flexible diplomacy - which is to seek diplomatic truce with China so that Taipei and Beijing will not try to win over each other's diplomatic allies. 'We will try our best to secure diplomatic ties with our 23 allies, and at the same time boost cooperation and friendship with non-diplomatic allies,' he said. Taiwanese press reports said Panama and Nicaragua were expected to request aid and donations from Taiwan, but Ma will not meet all their demands. This was because that in the wake of a Taipei-Beijing diplomatic truce, Taipei is no longer afraid that some of its allies might switch their recognition to China because Beijing no longer welcomes such a move. Panama, Honduras and Nicaragua are among the 23 countries which recognize Taiwan, formally called the Republic of China. Some 171 countries recognize China and see Taiwan as China's breakaway province.