Premier Sun Yun-suan, who carried the flag to Saudi Arabia last year and to the Republic of South Africa last spring, added a new dimension to his international travels in August and September. He spanned the wide Pacific to visit Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic of Central America and the Caribbean. He thereby expressed the determination of the Republic of China not to be isolated by the maneuvers of the Chinese Communists and presented another firm and conclusive proof that the Free Chinese "are not alone."
Flying home to Chiang Kai-shek International Airport aboard his China Airlines Boeing 747 special plane the evening of September 14, the Premier said: "Despite the diplomatic frustrations suffered by the Republic of China in recent years, our relations with these three Latin American countries are closer than ever." He expressed his appreciation for the hospitality shown him and took note of his hosts' "remarkable forward strides in economic development and social welfare advancement." A special television program that evening included film clips of the Premier's meetings with leaders of the three countries.
Greeting Premier Sun at the airport were former President Yen Chia-kan and other government and civic dignitaries. The Premier had been accompanied by his wife; Economic Minister Chang Kwang-shih; Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Fredrick F. Chien; General Yao Chao-yuan, deputy chief of the general staff; James Soong, director general of the Government Information Office; and others.
San Jose, Costa Rica, was the first stop for the Premier, who carried letters of friendly greeting from President Chiang Ching-kuo and gifts to the three chiefs of state to whom he talked. First Vice President Rodrigo Altmann Ortiz and a large crowd of overseas Chinese were on hand to welcome Premier Sun and his party of about 50. The Premier had two discussions with President Rodrigo Carozo and also met with First Vice President Altmann, Second Vice President and Minister of Economic Affairs Jose Miguel Alfaro and Dr. Rafael Angel Grillo Rivera, president of the Legislative Assembly.
Premier Sun and President Carazo signed a series of agreements concerning energy, agriculture and cultural exchange and technical assistance. In October, the Republic of China is sending technicians to Costa Rica to study the feasibility of using sugar cane to produce alcohol as a substitute for gasoline. Other technicians will participate in Costa Rica's search for coal. In the event of coal exploitation, the ROC is prepared to import quantities of the fuel. Other accords involve the training of Costa Rican artisans in bamboo fabrication and cooperation in fishing. Agricultural technicians from Taiwan have been serving in Costa Rica since 1972 to help develop rice and vegetable production and pig and fish raising.
President Carazo received an electric car — Tsing Hwa No. 4 — as a gift from the Republic of China and expressed hope that Costa Rica can master production techniques with the assistance of its Chinese friends.
In his summary of the Costa Rican experience, Dr. James Soong told members of the Chinese press accompanying the Premier that the visit had shown the ROC has real contributions to make to the countries of Latin America and vice versa. The cultural accord calls for exchange visits by journalists.
Premier Sun traveled to a ranch 400 kilometers south of San Jose to visit the 10 members of the Chinese agricultural mission in the country. The team from Taiwan is helping Costa Ricans produce more animal feed and hogs. If the project is successful, population of the ranch will be raised from 6 families to 200.
Next stop on the long journey was Panama City, where the Premier discussed international and country-to-country relations with President Aristides Royo. Panama and the Republic of China have had a long and special relationship growing out of their anti-Communist dedication, their mutual importance in the world of shipping and the long-standing efforts of both countries to cooperate in the improvement of industry and the augmentation of trade.
Premier Sun announced the two countries are examining the feasibility of Republic of China assistance in Panama's search for oil. He signed with Foreign Minister Carlos Ozores an agreement for increased agricultural, economic, scientific and technological exchanges. The Premier announced plans to rent land in the Colon Free Trade Zone and build warehousing for products of the Republic of China.
These were sorne of the cooperative endeavors agreed upon by the two countries:
- Donation of a 10-ton "friendship fishing boat" to Panama by the Republic of China to be used in coastal fishery training. A 23-ton seagoing vessel was given to Panama previously. Panama will be helped to build its own small boats.
- Dispatch of a technician to Panama to study the possibility of raising and processing oysters.
- Sending of specialists in small and medium industry to help Panama move ahead in martufacturing.
- Provision of assistance in the processing of sugar cane and wood waste materials into pulp and paper. One specialist from Taiwan's flourishing pulp and paper industry will be sent as an adviser.
- Help in the development of bamboo growing and processing as a sideline for farmers.
- Technological assistance in the development of semi-precious stone processing and pottery and wood handicrafts.
- Expansion of assistance already provided in rice, vegetable and fruit cultivation, hog and duck culture, fresh water fish and shrimp culture, and the construction of small irrigation systems.
As a consequence of its Panama Canal negotiations with the United States and importance in the maritime world, Panama is playing an increasing role in international affairs. The discussions between Premier Sun and President Royo were therefore of more than passing moment. The Republic of China's province of Taiwan controls the strategic Straits of Taiwan in much the same way that Panamanians are now coming into control of a vital waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacifico
Finally came the landing at Santo Domingo, capital of the pominican Republic, for the Premier's last stop in the Central American-Caribbean area. At the airport to provide a warm welcome were President Silvestre Antonio Guzman Fernandez, Vice President Jacobo Majiuta Azar, all cabinet ministers, the diplomatic corps and a large crowd of overseas Chinese. President Guzman was lavish in praise of the agricultural assistance extended to the Dominican Republic by the Republic of China. Premier Sun responded, and said he was eager to exchange views on the world situation while consolidating ROC-Dominican friendship.
The joint communique signed by President Guzman and Premier Sun calls for the expansion of agricultural and economic cooperation. These specifics were laid down:
- Dispatch by the Republic of China of two experts to help plan fishing development.
- Assignment of three ROC specialists and the provision of consultative services for the construction of small dams, river basin management and water storage and construction of irrigation and drainage systems.
- ROC assistance in sugar cane planting and refining.
- Help to Dominica in producing railroad ties.
- Analysis by an interdisciplinary group of the oroductivity, training and diversification of state industries.
- Technicians to study cargo and passenger services, routes, replacement of equipment and administration of Dominican National Airlines.
- Technological assistance in making machinery for rice cultivation and re-establishment of hog culture.
- Cultural exchanges based on artistic works. Details of the technical assistance program were worked out in meetings between Economic Minister Chang Kwang-shih and Technical Minister Ramon Martinez Aponte.
The Premier paid visits to agricultural demonstration teams in Latin America. This was the occasion in Dominica. (File photo)
The Premier had two meetings with President Guzman, one of them priva te. He traveled north from Santo Domingo to visit an agricultural research center where Chinese agronomists are developirig new strains of rice and helping their Dominican counterparts improve yields.
Meetings with overseas Chinese were arranged for Premier Sun not only in the three countries but also in San Francisco and Hawaii, where the special plane stopped for refueling. He encouraged overseas Chinese to strengthen their ties with the homeland and be good and useful residents of their countries of domicile. Business interests of Chinese are sizable in Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic. The three countries welcome this and have urged additional Chinese investment.
One commentary on the Premier's trip said that although the countries involved are not great powers, this does not make them less important as sovereign states. The commentary continued:
In these times, small nations have taken on importance that they did not possess a generation or so ago. Panama, for example, recently compelled the United States to right some of the Panama Canal wrongs. Fairness and justice were Panama's principal weapons. At the same time, this small country had the power to do great harm to U.S. interests in Latin America and the world. For nearly a century, the Panama Canal was a servitude forced on a small state by a great power. That is no longer acceptable. The United States had to admit as much and make sorne amends for the wrongs of the past.
The United States and the Soviet Union alone have the capability of generating world war. Nevertheless, other nations down to the smallest and weakest have the powers of peacemaking and peacekeeping. They are no longer to be neglected or ignored by Washington and Moscow. The Republic of China is fortunate to have the continuing friendship and support of a sizable number of the most important of the small states.
The Taiwan-Republic of China potential is, however, one of the greatest in the world. Awaiting the return of ROC sovereignty are a billion people and a geographical area larger than the United States. This potential does not affect our respect for small nations and our regard for their requirements and aspirations. Premier Sun made these sentiments clear to the people of Latin America and received an appropriate welcome.
Neither Africans nor Central Americans have been asked to help the Republic of China achieve its national goal of unifying the Chinese people under conditions of freedom and democracy. They understand and sympathize, however, and we have their moral support and ongoing recognition and friendship.
Premier Sun's visitations are more than a gesture. They symbolize the continuing impossibility of the Chinese Communists ever isolating this country and cutting it off from friends and neighbors. The nations visited and many others are not about to follow the example of the United States, Japan and other countries which have found it convenient to deny our sovereign existence while profiting from our economic success. These states were not afraid to stand up and be counted as friends of the Republic of China. They did not find it necessary to resort to pretenses and fictions in order to trade and have other relations with us.
Premier Sun has carried the flag to distant shores with dignity, persuasiveness and implications far beyond those of a mere exchange of international courtesies. These trips should be continued until Premier Sun or other high officials of the Republic of China have visited every country on our diplomatic list. As for states which have departed from the rolls of the officially recognized, this country should send them the highest ranking and most influential people at our command. Many countries have stood by us. By the same token, the adverse decisions of other states are not irreversible.
The Premier has been engaged in diplomacyat the official level. That is important. Of no less consequence is the people-to-people diplomacy which in time can help return us to our proper place in the world. We have fought our way back from the brink to which the enemy sought to consign us. The Republic of China's survival and growing strength have been made manifest in Premier Sun's trips. We are not alone. We are alive and well and in good company. The Republic of China has only begun to fight for its rightful place in the international scene.