Jan 12, 2007, 4:15 GMT
Taipei - Taiwan on Friday protested Mexico's decision to bar Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian's plane from Mexican air space on his way from Nicaragua to the United States.
As Chen's chartered plane was flying over Mexico to Los Angeles Thursday, Mexican air traffic control personnel ordered the jet to leave Mexican airspace and fly over the open sea to the United States, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Chien-yeh said.
The detour delayed Chen's arrival in Los Angeles by about four hours, he added.
'When President Chen flew to Nicaragua, Mexico allowed his plane to pass through Mexican air space, but on his way back, it suddenly barred it,' Wang said at a news conference. 'The reason is obvious: China has put pressure on Mexico.'
Chen flew to Nicaragua in a chartered China Airlines plane to attend Daniel Ortega's inauguration as president Wednesday and to cement diplomatic ties with the Central American country, one of the 24 nations that recognize Taiwan.
China had tried to woo Ortega to drop Taipei and recognize Beijing, but Ortega refused.
According to the cable TV channel ERA TV, Mexico had originally granted passage to Chen's jet after intervention from the United States and Nicaragua with Washington telling Mexico City that Chen was a guest of the US government.
Because of the distance between Taiwan and Nicaragua, Chen's jet had to make pit stop on both legs of the journey and stopped in the United States. He stayed overnight in San Francisco on his way to Nicaragua and is to make a refuelling stop in Los Angeles on his way home.
Both the United States and Mexico have diplomatic ties with China, which sees Taiwan as its breakaway province.
China has barred its allies from making formal contacts with Taiwan, including receiving Taiwanese leaders. China has already protested Washington's granting of transit stops to Chen.
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