RAD REPORT
Summary
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TAIWAN
es
My Major Dr.
AKCO20/3 Taiwan нисогов
Ry'
FEBRUARY 1991
Taiwan considering how to help after the war in the gulf, but no promises of quick financial aid.
(Para 1)
Good relations with Saudi Arabia despite the break in relations. Possibility of exchanging offices with Israel. Unofficial economic agreements with Gulf states signed. (Para 2)
No breakthrough in relations with North Korea.
(Para 4)
Much discussion of plans for reunification, but they are unlikely to lead to any practical negotiations in the immediate future. Premier Hau rules out reunification during Deng Xiaoping's lifetime. Problems over piracy by mainland vessels. (Paras 5-7)
issue.
Record budget deficit expect, to be covered mainly by bond
(Para 8)
Further proposals for constitutional reform.
(Para 9)
International Relations
1.
The Taiwan Foreign Minister said on 24 February that Taiwan had all along unambiguously supported the "just war" in the Gulf. Two days earlier, in an interview with the Free China Journal, he said that the Foreign Ministry had considered four possible ways of helping: a) to send troops, this had been ruled out as absolutely impossible in practice; b) to help defray the military costs of the allies, this was theoretically possible but "it is something we will not do"; c) to send medical teams and help clean. up the oil spills, Taiwan already had medical teams in the Middle East and had no experience in oil drilling so this was not realistic; d) to offer humanitarian aid, this was worth consideration but no funds had been budgeted for this year. Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying that: "Participating in their reconstruction projects is the best assistance the ROC can possibly offer to war afflicted Middle Eastern Countries. But aid funds for this year have been used up and a special budget would have to be passed to provide direct aid." A subsequent press report stated that Taiwan would make a decision on how to help with reconstruction after the end of the war, based on Kuwait's needs and the attitudes of Japan, South Korea, and Western countries. The Minister of Economic Affairs
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