Taiwan-Panama diplomacy row ends after half year

  • Putrajaya tells Dong Zong to adapt for UEC approval
    Putrajaya tells Dong Zong to adapt for UEC approval

    PUTRAJAYA, May 21 – The United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) must be “prepared to make changes” and meet conditions set by the Ministry of Education if the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) is to be recognised, the government said today.

  • MACC panel wants ministers, MBs, banned from government projects
    MACC panel wants ministers, MBs, banned from government projects

    KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 – The MACC’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel (CCPP) proposed today that all government administrators and their family members at both federal and state levels be barred from bidding for government projects.

  • After elections, Najib has serious economic concerns on his plate
    After elections, Najib has serious economic concerns on his plate

    KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s newly re-elected Barisan Nasional (BN) government faces what the Financial Times today called the serious economic problem of weakening exports.

  • Adam's father gets to meet him at Jinjang lockup
    Adam's father gets to meet him at Jinjang lockup

    Adam Adli Abdul Halim has been subjected to interrogation for two days in a row and was not even given a pillow or a blanket to sleep, said lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, who visited student activist today.

  • Ambiga, Bersih crew to pass baton to new leadership soon
    Ambiga, Bersih crew to pass baton to new leadership soon

    KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 — Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and the rest of Bersih 2.0’s 20-member steering committee are soon expected to relinquish their posts to make way for new blood in the leadership of the polls watchdog movement.

Taiwan's ambassador to Panama was finally allowed to assume his post Tuesday six months after arriving in the Central American country, amid a diplomatic rift, the Taiwanese foreign ministry said.

Diego Chou flew to Panama in January, but attempts to deliver his letter of credence were repeatedly snubbed by the Panamanian government, the ministry said.

Panama is among 23 nations that recognise Taiwan rather than China, from which the island split in 1949 after a civil war.

But there has been speculation Taipei could lose out in the long-running tug of war with its giant neighbour, with Panama reportedly considering shifting diplomatic recognition to Beijing.

And Taiwan media said Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli had accused the island of interfering in Panama's internal affairs after foreign minister Timothy Yang met one of the president's rivals on a visit.

Taipei has flatly denied any interference.

"The misunderstanding has been solved after a thorough communication," Taiwan's foreign ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

Taiwan and China have in the past engaged in "dollar diplomacy", offering generous financial packages to ensure the loyalty of governments, especially in Africa, Latin America and the Pacific.

However, Taipei has ditched the controversial measures since Ma Ying-jeou of the China-friendly Kuomintang party came to power in 2008 on platform of beefing up trade and tourism links and adopting a "diplomatic truce" with China.

Loading...

Comments on Yahoo! pages are subject to our link to Comments Guidelines. You are responsible for any content that you post. Yahoo! is not responsible or liable in any way for comments posted by its users. Yahoo! does not in any way endorse or support comments made by its users.