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.