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A subsequent press report stated that any decision on granting additional aid would take into account public opinion, recommendations of Taiwan government agencies and Taiwan's relations with other countries and its international responsibilities. On 16 January the Taiwan Red Cross Society of China informed the ICRC that it was ready to offer medicare service if war broke out.
3. Taiwan denied a "Time" magazine report that it had been supplying anti-tank and anti-personnel mines to Iraq. The Taiwan authorities responded to reports that Taiwan had continued trading with Iraq by saying that export permits were no longer issued for Iraq and that the Board of Foreign Trade's figures showed that exports had been at a standstill since September. Nonetheless some traders were reported as saying that orders placed before August 1990 had to be fulfilled to maintain credibility with buyers.
International relations
4.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs said on 29 December that in the coming year Taiwan would give less consideration to establishing diplomatic ties with mini-type countries and would focus on developing relations with countries which have greater potential but difficulties in establishing diplomatic links with the "Republic of China". One aspect of this may be "vacation" trips to friendly countries by President Li, although much would depend on the level of recèption accorded him. Taiwan scored an early triumph with the highly public "private" visit of the French Trade and Industry Minister accompanied by a party of officials and businessmen in early January. It was the first Ministerial level visit from France since France recognised China. in 1964, and he met a whole range of Taiwan's senior leadership from the President down. His visit was intended to promote French business participation in Taiwan's new development plan. The French government were also reported by the Taiwanese to have offered a 20 year military sales cooperation plan to Taiwan. Chinese protested vigourously at the visit. There has been a stream of visitors from the Soviet Union including the Textile Minister of the Russian Federation, the Chairman of the Soviet congressional trade committee (sic), a group of Moscow City Councillors, the Governor of Sakhalin, and the Deputy Finance Minister of the Russian Federation.
The talk has mainly been
The
of trade matters despite the announcement on 6 January that a $100 million deal concluded between the Chunghsing Textile group and a procurement group from the Russian Federation had fallen through because the Russian side had failed to come up with the cash. Taiwan no doubt enjoys a certain satisfaction from their very presence. Taiwan has also said that it is keen to establish air links with the Soviet Union, especially following hostilities in the Gulf. Taiwan is also interested in developing ties with Eastern Europe and set up a special task force in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to that end. Its first priority will be to exchange and establish trade offices with Poland and Czechoslovakia.
5.
There have been several senior outward visits, The Chief
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