| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Africa Subsaharan | |
| Senegal sells out Taiwan to Chicoms for $4 million | |
| 2006-01-13 | |
| DAKAR (AFP) - Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing gave four million US dollars to Dakar within hours of his arrival in Senegal, the latest west African country to have recently ditched Taiwan in favour of mighty Beijing. Hi! Hey! Anybody here in government want $4 million? Li is the first high-level Chinese government official to visit Senegal, which switched ties to China on October 25. Beijing had severed diplomatic relations when Dakar recognized Taiwan nine years ago. Shortly after arriving Li immediately met and signed the protocol agreement with his Senegalese counterpart Cheikh Tidiane Gadio. Who saw the light when Li opened the attache case. Senegal will use 3.8 million dollars as it wishes while 200,000 dollars will specifically go to assist victims of floods that hit parts of the country mid last year. $500K for the floods and the rest for administrative overhead. Li and Gadio also "spoke about the resumption of cooperation in the medical field, with a medical team expected to come to Senegal soon". Since relatively few doctors want to hang out in Senegal. China will also help Senegal renovate 11 regional stadiums. A meeting was scheduled later Thursday with Senegalese Prime Minister Macky Sall before a dinner in Li's honour. French wine will be served, of course. Before his departure for neighbouring Mali on Friday, the Chinese minister will officially open China's new embassy in Dakar. Better get with the CIA so we do not have a mistake hit like that in Serbia. Beijing, in its bid to counter-balance Western influence among developing nations, has chosen Africa as its first port of call. Good luck t'ye in deepest darkest Africa. Buy some friends.
Attacking on all fronts. Since the two were separated after China's civil war ended in 1949, Beijing and Taipei have been engaged in a battle to poach allies from each other with generous economic aid packages. In its first ever African policy document, published Thursday to coincide with Li's tour, Beijing said the "one China" policy remains "the political foundation for the establishment and development" of relations with African countries. Sing our tune and we will shower you with money. Sing another tune and you can FOAD. "The Chinese government appreciates the fact that the overwhelming majority of African countries abide by the 'one China' principle, refuse to have official relations and contacts with Taiwan and support China's great cause of reunification," China states in the policy document. China vows to "unswervingly" pursue its relations with Africa and foster new types of strategic partnership. "China will establish and develop a new type of strategic partnership with Africa which features political equality and mutual trust, economic win-win cooperation and cultural exchange," it said. The foreign minister's trip, seen as a bid to bolster China's energy ties and forge stronger global political alliances to counterbalance US dominance, will also take him to Liberia, Nigeria and Libya. Better watch the Nigeria trip. Chinese are hungry for oil. Another significant market. Senegal became the sixth country to defect to China since 2000, following Liberia, Macedonia, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Vanuatu and Grenada. The number of countries worldwide still maintaining links with Taiwan has dropped to 25, mostly small nations in Africa and the Pacific. Gambia and Burkina Faso are now Taiwan's sole partners in west Africa. After its swing for Beijing, Senegal said it recognized that "China is the sole government legally representing all of China and that Taiwan is an integral part of Chinese territory." The decision "corresponds perfectly to the fundamental interests of our country and the spirit of the new global diplomacy serving our national interests," the Senegalese government said. | |
| Posted by:Alaska Paul |
| #1 The decision "corresponds perfectly to |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-01-13 21:40 |