CHECKBOOK ‘DIPLOMACY’: A new car here, funds for a new headquarters there, and more: The leaked diplomatic documents allege a pattern of broad financial chicaneryBy Chen Yun / Staff reporter請繼續往下閱讀...A national security official said yesterday that allegedly leaked Chinese documents indicated Beijing put a price on efforts to block Taiwan from the World Health Assembly （WHA）.National Security Council adviser Alex Huang （黃重諺） made the remarks in an interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times （sister paper to the Taipei Times） when asked about suspected Chinese diplomatic documents leaked online that allegedly shows Beijing offered Micronesia 1 million yuan （US$149,002） to cover the cost of purchasing a vehicle in exchange for the Pacific island nation blocking Taiwan’s participation in the WHA.The leaked documents allege to show a diplomatic note from the Chinese embassy in Micronesia in March asking the island nation to sign a letter supporting Beijing’s stance on Taiwan at the WHA. On April 8, Micronesia reportedly wrote to WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, asking that Taiwan-related issues not be discussed. The WHA subsequently rejected Taiwan’s proposal in May. On June 10, China sent a 1 million yuan “grant” to Micronesia for the ostensible use of purchasing a vehicle for official receptions, and Micronesia replied on June 23 accepting the funding.The documents also show the African Union accepted a 200 million yuan “renovation grant” from China in April, then sought an additional US$50 million to build a new headquarters and recreation center.Following Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi’s （王毅） visit to Africa earlier this year, Taiwan faced a number of complications, including the withdrawal of flight clearance for President William Lai’s （賴清德） chartered aircraft in April, Kenya blocking of Taiwan’s participation in a UN ocean conference in June, Morocco suspending visa issuance in July, and Uganda withholding passports last month.Huang said in the interview that the allegedly leaked documents closely match intelligence held by Taiwan in terms of the officials’ titles, narrative and timeline, adding that they could “to some extent be considered highly credible.”He said the documents focus on two major sets of activities. One involves Beijing’s efforts to rally Pacific island nations to sign a joint letter to the WHO calling for Taiwan to be excluded and for Taiwan-related issues not to be discussed. The arrangements appear to be “almost something that can be priced,” Huang said, with the number of signatories on the letter roughly corresponding to how much money would need to be spent.The other set of allegedly leaked documents focuses on the African Union.Huang said that “some of what we saw came as a shock.”Lai was scheduled to visit Taiwan’s diplomatic ally Eswatini on April 22, but the trip was canceled after three African Union member states along the planned flight route withdrew overflight clearance. On the same day the Presidential Office announced the cancelation, the African Union wrote to China requesting another round of funding.Huang said the strikingly coincidental timing reveals the pattern of Beijing’s operations.China’s efforts to pressure Taiwan have never stopped, with Beijing constantly adopting new tactics, Huang said.Stressing that friendships bought with money would not stand the test of time, Huang said that once recipient countries fall into Beijing’s trap and their overall national strength comes under its influence, China gains greater control over international resources that can be used to pressure other countries.Huang said that China does not have unlimited resources to sustain an endless campaign of dollar diplomacy.Moreover, if Beijing no longer respects the international order, he asked, “How can other countries expect [China] to honor its commitments to them?”新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
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