Saudi Arabia arrests 19,696 illegals in a week    Turki Al-Sheikh crowned "Most Influential Personality in the Last Decade" at MENA Effie Awards 2024    Move to ban on establishing zoos in residential neighborhoods    SFDA move to impose travel ban on workers of food outlets in the event of food poisoning    GACA: 1029 complaints recorded against airlines, with least complaints in Riyadh and Buraidah airports during October    CMA plans to allow former expatriates in Saudi and other Gulf states to invest in TASI    11 killed, 23 injured in Israeli airstrike on Beirut    Trump picks billionaire Scott Bessent for Treasury Secretary    WHO: Mpox remains an international public health emergency    2 Pakistanis arrested for promoting methamphetamine    Moody's upgrades Saudi Arabia's credit rating to Aa3 with stable outlook    Al Okhdood halts Al Shabab's winning streak with a 1-1 draw in Saudi Pro League    Mahrez leads Al Ahli to victory over Al Fayha in Saudi Pro League    Al Qadsiah hands Al Nassr their first defeat in the Saudi Pro League    Saudi musical marvels takes center stage in Tokyo's iconic opera hall    Saudi Arabia and Japan to collaborate on training Saudi students in Manga comics Saudi Minister of Culture discusses cultural collaboration during Tokyo visit    Al Khaleej qualifies for Asian Men's Club League Handball Championship final    Katy Perry v Katie Perry: Singer wins right to use name in Australia    Sitting too much linked to heart disease –– even if you work out    Denmark's Victoria Kjær Theilvig wins Miss Universe 2024    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Taiwan foreign minister questioned over diplomatic scandal
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 02 - 05 - 2008


Taiwanese Foreign Minister James Huang was
questioned over 30 million US dollars meant to win diplomatic
recognition from Papua New Guinea (PNG) but was embezzled instead, according to dpa.
Prosecutor Huang Mou-hsin questioned Huang for five hours and
plans also to question Vice Premier Chiou I-jen, who in 2006
recommended to Huang the two intermediaries who received to the
money, the Central News Agency reported.
The scandal, which came to light 18 days before President Chen
Shui-bian steps down, is the latest of a string of scandals
concerning Taiwan's secret diplomacy, labelled chequebook diplomacy
by China.
Chen has defended Taiwan's secret diplomacy and the "secret
diplomacy fund" on the grounds they were state secrets.
Early Friday, Huang apologized for the scandal at a news
conference and accused the two middlemen of betraying Taiwan.
Taiwan is trying to break its diplomatic isolation by launching
ties with foreign countries. Currently only 23 countries recognize
Taiwan and more than 170 countries recognize China, which sees Taiwan
as a Chinese province.
Due to Taiwan's delicate situation, most of Taiwan's talks on
opening ties with foreign countries are conducted secretly and
sometimes through businessmen.
Taipei made the attempt to launch ties with PNG, an island state
in the South Pacific, because in 1999 PNG, still recognizing China,
signed a joint communique with Taiwan on mutual recognition.
PNG annulled the decision after Mekere Morauta had became prime
minister on July 21 the same year.
Taiwan restarted the secret diplomacy talks in 2006 by hiring as
middlemen Ching Chi-ju and Wu Shih-tsai to persuade PNG to ditch
China and recognize Taiwan.
Ching, a US passport holder, and Wu, a Singaporean of Chinese
origin, supposedly had good ties with PNG politicians.
Under the deal, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry would send 30 million US
dollars intended as aid to PNG to a joint account opened by Ching and
Wu in the OCBC bank in Singapore.
Ching and Wu were to withdraw the cash only after talks on
establishing diplomatic ties with PNG had succeeded, and had to
return the fund to Taipei should the talks fail.
On September 14, 2006, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry remitted 29.8
million US dollars into the bank account - 200,000 US dollars had
been deducted from the sum as a working fund for Ching and Wu.
In December 2006, Taipei questioned the pair's loyalty and decided
to end the talks, asking them to return the money.
When Taiwanese diplomats took Ching and Wu from Taipei to
Singapore to withdraw the money, Ching fled from a Singapore hotel
and Wu was brought back to Taiwan to face prosecution.
Ching's whereabouts are unknown, and Wu is being investigated by
prosecutors and barred from leaving Taiwan.
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry had kept the scandal secret until
Thursday, when Singapore daily Lianhe Zaobao reported that Taiwan was
seeking the return of the cash from Ching and Wu via a Singapore High
Court.
Lianhe Zaobao said Taiwan's Foreign Ministry has successfully
applied for an injunction from Singapore High Court to freeze Ching
and Wu's assets.


Clic here to read the story from its source.