Australia welcomes Taiwan's incoming president
Updated
Australia has given an enthusiastic welcome to Taiwan's incoming President, saying the election result will cut tensions with China. Both sides of Australian politics have endorsed the election of Ma Ying-jeou, pointing to benefits in cross-Straits relations but also in the South Pacific.
Presenter: Graeme Dobell
Speaker: Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd; Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith; Australia's Former Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer.
DOBELL: The Australian Government welcome for the result of Taiwan's election on March the 22nd goes well beyond diplomatic niceties.
The enthusiasm reflects the drama and tensions generated during the eight year leadership of President Chen Shui-bian, who continually pushed the boundaries of Taiwan's international space and its right to be treated as a sovereign state. Australia says the election of the Nationalist Party candidate, Ma Ying-jeou, should calm relations with China.
That cause will be further helped, Canberra says, by the fact that Taiwan's voters also rejected the referendum question asking whether Taiwan should apply for its own seat in the United Nations. This was provocative enough for Beijing, but even worse for China was the proposition that the application should be made under the name Taiwan, rather than the official title, the Republic of China. Here's Australia's Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith.
SMITH: I'm very happy to see Dr Ma elected. I'm also very happy to see the so-called referendum defeated, and I'm optimistic that Dr Ma's election will help to reduce tensions across the Straits. I think that from an optimistic point of view it should and could be a good development and certainly his election to the extent that an election outcome in Taiwan is welcomed has effectively been welcomed by Chinese authorities as well. But I was particularly pleased to see the referendum defeated and I'm optimistic about the reduction of tension across the Straits as a result of Dr Ma coming to office.
DOBELL: Beyond the benefit to Cross-Strait relations, Australia is hoping that the new government in Taiwan will step back from its fight with China over diplomatic relations around the world. Taiwan is recognised by six states in the South Pacific, and Canberra argues that the the diplomatic fight between Beijing and Taipei is destabilising the region and even corrupting local politicians. Australia's former Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, was in Taiwan for the election and says the new President promised him that Taiwan would abandon chequebook diplomacy.
DOWNER: I took the opportunity of speaking to the President-elect, Mr Ma and he initiated this aspect of the conversation. He said to me this will be the end of dollar diplomacy in the South Pacific, of cheque-book diplomacy that would come to an end. I didn't have to ask him that, he offered that view knowing me as he did from years gone by. And I must say I was very heartened to hear that. So I think from Australia's point of view Taiwan is going to be a great deal easier to get on with than it has been under the Chen Shui-bian regime.
DOBELL: Did Mr Ma define what he meant by stepping back from cheque-book diplomacy because some of the shadier aspects of that have been about paying bribes, about interference in the domestic politics of the Pacific?
DOWNER: Well I've made it clear to the Taiwanese and I haven't pulled my punches on this that they have clearly been bribing politicians in the South Pacific. They say in their defence, the defence of the Chen Shui-bian government has been that they provide financial support to MPs so that those MPs are able to do work in their constituencies on development projects. Now I've said to them that that's not going to wash with me, they are clearly bribes that are being paid to MPs.
DOBELL: Australia's Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has also offered to set up joint aid projects with China in the South Pacific. This is a change of approach for Australia which has stepped back from the China-Taiwan aid contest in the region, questioning whether it really helps development. Mr Rudd says partnering China in the South Pacific would be one element in the larger effort to encourage Beijing to engage and support international and regional norms.
RUDD: For Australia getting development assistance to the Pacific Island nations on a stable footing is crucial and we'd be happy to partner with China in some pilot projects. In short we look to China to make a strong contribution to strengthening the global and regional rules based order.
