Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian has defended Taiwan's aid to Central American allies, saying Taiwan used to receive aid from rich countries so it was time for Taiwan to aid other countries, Taiwan press said on Sunday, according to dpa. Chen made the statement Saturday to Taiwan reporters in El Salvador, the second leg of his Central American trip. He has already visited Honduras, to attend a summit with leaders of Taiwan's six Central American allies, and will head to Nicaragua on Sunday. Chen has come under attack by Taiwan's opposition and press for pledging 305 million dollars loan to Honduras and 10 million dollars for training hi-tech personnel for Central American allies. The aid for El Salvador was not announced yet, but Chen offered to promote El Salvadoran coffee to Taiwan consumers, by offering to be a spokesman and personally buying 900 kilograms, worth 10,000 dollars. Chen also donated 500 motorbikes to the Salvadoran police, worth 1.5 million dollars. Taiwan's opposition rapped Chen for dollar diplomacy, saying the aid has been in vain because the Central American allies did not back back Taiwan's bid to join the United Nations in the summit's joint communique. But Chen justified the aid by saying Taiwan received aid from rich nations in the 1960s and 1970s, so it is Taiwan's turn to aid countries which are less well-off. "According to the UN standard, a developed nation's foreign aid should be 0.7 per cent of its GNP, but Taiwan's aid is only 0.12 per cent of Taiwan's GNP," Chen told the Taiwan press corps in San Salvador. "During our difficult years, Taiwan received aid from the US, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the Asian Development Bank and other countries and international organization. Now that we are able to help poor countries, how can we not help them? he said. Regarding the Central American allies dropping the clause backing Taiwan's UN bid in the summit communique, Chen said the foreign aid Taiwan received was unconditional. "How can we set preconditions when we offer aid now?" Chen said China is using all means to woo over Taiwan's allies - through investment and purchase. "What we are giving is investment and loan, but some people call it dollar diplomacy, so I must clarify," he said. Chen is leading a nearly 100-strong delegation to visit Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. His visit came as China showed its new foothold in Central America on Thursday by opening an embassy in Costa Rica. Two days of trade talks between the two countries saw the conclusion of business deals valued at 140 million dollars. Taiwan is recognized by only 24 countries and half of them are in Latin America and the Caribbean. China sees Taiwan as its breakaway province and has been wooing Taiwan's allies to switch recognition from Taipei to Beijing.
