Taiwan wants closer ASEAN ties

Taiwan wants closer ASEAN ties

TAIPEI (AFP): Taiwan's foreign minister-designate Tien Hung-
mao voiced his desire on Thursday to forge closer ties with ASEAN
members despite China's efforts to squeeze Taipei's international
space.

"We should adopt more aggressive, flexible and broad-based
diplomatic policies ... to win the friendship of the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)," Tien told a seminar.

He recommended fully utilizing 'track II' and 'track III'
mechanisms -- Taiwan terms for unofficial measures -- "to
actively participate in multilateral security and economic
cooperation dialogs in the Asia-Pacific region."

None of the 10 member nations of ASEAN maintain official links
with Taiwan, which Tien referred to as "track I" ties.