Taiwanese official Chin to visit Saipan

Guam-based Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Director-General James C. Y. Chin will arrive tomorrow on Saipan for a courtesy call on the Legislature.

House leadership spokesman Charles Reyes said yesterday that Chin would pay a courtesy call on House of Representatives officials.

The visit comes in the wake of reports of a Chinese submarine recently penetrating the waters of the Marianas—a move seen as a tacit warning to the United States of the country’s nuclear might if conflict breaks out over Taiwan.

Aware of the sensitive China-Taiwan issue, Reyes said that the CNMI is by no means getting involved in such a delicate matter. The CNMI, he said, welcomes investors from different places, including Taiwan.

As far as foreign policy is concerned, he said the CNMI follows the U.S. government’s lead, as embodied in the CNMI-U.S. Covenant.

“Everything is under the framework of the Covenant,” said Reyes.

Reyes gave no details of Chin’s visit except his meeting with the House leadership headed by Speaker Benigno R. Fitial on Thursday morning.

In July last year, Chin, who had just assumed his Guam post, had paid a courtesy call on Gov. Juan N. Babauta, Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente, and then Senate President Paul A. Manglona. They reportedly discussed several mutual concerns, including tourism, which is incidentally a part of TECO’s responsibility.

Chin had said that his office also hopes to encourage Taiwanese investments in the CNMI.

“We have to find out on Saipan what area the government wishes to develop because for the time being, it’s only the tourism—hotels, restaurants. But what else? Perhaps in other sectors, if there are any incentives. We wish to promote if there is opportunity.

“But the private sector is profit-oriented. They must find out if there are any comparative advantage or profit opportunity,” he said.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Guam also functions as a consulate general for its citizens. Guam is reportedly host to some 2,000 Taiwanese.

Wire reports last week said that a Chinese submarine, which was intercepted by Japan’s Navy in early July, had reached Guam after passing the Okinawa group of islands. It reportedly headed back after circling Guam, a U.S. territory south of the CNMI.

Tokyo authorities reportedly believe that the ship was on a mission to warn the U.S. of its nuclear submarine capabilities in the event a conflict breaks out between China and Taiwan, which it considers a renegade province.