Taipei - Taiwan on Saturday reiterated its wish to become a dialogue partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Vice President Vincent Siew made the statement while attending an internatinoal seminar on how to help Taiwan participate in ASEAN activities.
Siew said that Taiwan is a committed to peace and is an important investor in southeast Asia. But for political reasons, Taiwan has been excluded from regional integration, causing Taiwan people to fear that Taiwan will be marginalized some day.
Despite the obstacles, Taiwan will continue the fight to launch bilateral or multi-lateral free trade ties with foreign countries and organizations, including ASEAN.
Forming the ASEAN free trade zone can boost regional competitiveness through division of labor and help promote Southeast Asian products on the world market, he said.
Siew said that Taiwan has close trade tie with ASEAN and Taiwan- China ties have been improving since Ma Ying-jeou became president on May 20. "We are willing to hold talks with China on how the two sides can jointly participate in economic cooperation in Southeast Asia."
Siew said Taiwan's foreign ministry will set up a work committee to promote contacts with ASEAN and to achieve the goal of Taiwan's becoming an ASEAN dialgoue partner.
Since Taiwan lost its United Nations seat to China in 1971 and was expelled from all UN-affiliated organizations soon after, it has been seeking to rejoin world organizations and break its international isolation.
Established in 1967, ASEAN has 10 members, one observer (Papua New Guinea) and two dialogue members which include China, Japan and South Korea.
