Panama pledges continued diplomatic ties with Taiwan

Jul 10, 2007, 10:23 GMT

Taipei - Panama has pledged that its diplomatic ties with Taiwan are firm despite Costa Rica's breaking ties with Taiwan to recognize China, the Central News Agency (CNA) said on Tuesday.

Panama's First Vice President and Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis made the pledge to Taiwan's Vice President Anette Lu Monday evening when Lu's chartered plane made a refueling stop in Panama on her way from Paraguay to Guatemala.

During their one-hour-and-20-minutes talk, Lewis said that after Costa Rica cut ties with Taiwan, Panama was the first to announce it would continue to recognize Taiwan and its foreign policy remained unchanged, CNA reported from Panama City.

Lewis and Lu also talked about President Martin Torrijos' administration policies, science and technology and the planned expansion of the Panama Canal, in which Taiwan is willing to participate.

The Panamanian foreign ministry issued a statement saying Lewis and Lu discussed bilateral ties, investment, Panama Canal expansion as well as bilateral and regional cooperation.

Taiwan and Panama launched diplomatic ties in 1952. Bilateral cooperation projects include cooperation in culture, science and technology, fishery, commerce, investment protection, air transport and tourism.

Taiwan, home of the world-famous Evergreen and Yangming shipping companies, is the 12th-largest user of the Panama Canal.

Lu is on a 12-day visit to the Dominican Republic, Paraguay and Guatemala, leading a 63-member delegation.

The official purpose of her trip is to attend celebrations marking five decades of Taiwanese-Paraguayan friendship, but Taiwan press reports claim this is a damage-control trip to prevent Taiwan's remaining Latin American allies from dumping Taiwan after Costa Rica decided to recognize China on June 1.

Taiwan, seat of the exiled Republic of China since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, is now recognized by only 24 mostly small nations, half of them in Latin America and the Caribbean.