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warned businessmen that, if they were found trading with Iraq, they would face "severe punishment". He said the government were extremely concerned by reports that some businessmen had been doing business with Iraq and added: "we can never allow a few businessmen to damage the national interest". He went on to say that although Taiwan was not a member of the UN, it always honoured UN resolutions and "this longstanding goodwill has paid off, the international community has helped the country become the world's 13th largest trading nation".
2. On of the Vice Ministers of Foreign Affairs, John Chang, travelled to Saudi Arabia on 19 February to attend the annual conference of Taiwan's Middle Eastern representatives on 22-23 February. The Taiwan press took his visit to show that official exchanges with Saudi Arabia had not been affected by the break in diplomatic relations. Taiwan's new representative office in Saudi Arabia, to replace the former Embassy, formally opened on 18 February and the ceremony was attended by officials of both countries. Taiwan's personnel in the office will enjoy diplomatic privileges. On his return from the area on 28 February, he said that Taiwan and Israel would be exchanging representative offices in the near future. The meeting he attended had agreed that this could be done without harming Taiwan's relationship with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states. The Director General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry had earlier been quoted by the China Times as saying that the government had allocated funds in its current budget to open an office in Taiwan. The China External Trade and Development Council signed an agreement on economic cooperation with the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry on 26 February (trade with he United Arab Emirates totalled US $610 million in 1990), and was reported to have signed similar agreements earlier with Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
3. The newly appointed head of the "Taipei Economic and Cultural Office" in Toronto told the Taiwan press that he intended to issue visa as well as providing trade and commercial information. The office was described as Taiwan's first
representation in Canada for twenty years. The Taiwan pres reported on 1 February that Taiwan intended to reopen its office in Sri Lanka which had been closed last year as a result of Chinese pressure. There was a also a report that the Jamaica ports authority had plans to open an office in Taipei.
4.
The enterprising Chang Shih-liang, a member of the National Assembly, paid a four day fact finding visit to North Korea in early February. In his press briefing on his return he reported that the North Koreans had told him that North Korea would be letting foreign capital into the country and would allow foreign banks to handle foreign investment and related matters. He added that not too much should be expected in economic and trade relations by Taiwan as China would be pressurising the North Koreans to go slowly in their relationship with Taiwan. The Taiwan authorities sounded a similar note of caution saying that indirect trade with North Korea would only be permitted if North Korea changed its unfriendly attitude to Taiwan. Taiwan reported on 11 February that it had granted $143 million in foreign aid over the last three years out of its $1 billion aid
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