Ever since rice was first grown by Chinese agricultural technicians in a Liberian swamp late in 1961, the Republic of China has successfully promoted bilateral relations with foreign countries through technical cooperation.
Over the past 20 years, the Republic of China has dispatched 81 agricultural demonstration teams and technical missions to various developing countries in Africa, Central and South America, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Ocean and Middle East. Of the figure, 41 missions have completed their assignments and been withdrawn while the remaining 40 teams are still stationed in 22 countries.
A breakdown is as follows:
Africa - Agricultural missions in the Ivory Coast, Lesotho, Malawi and Swaziland. Seed multiplication and supply missions in the Ivory Coast and Swaziland.
South America - Agricultural missions in Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Central America and the Caribbean - Agricultural missions in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and El Salvador. Fishery missions in Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama.
Southeast Asia - Two agricultural missions in Indonesia and one in Thailand.
Pacific Ocean - Agricultural missions in Fiji, the Marshall Islands and Tonga.
Middle East - Agricultural, irrigation and fishery missions in Saudi Arabia. A technical service team is also stationed in the oil-rich kingdom to help carry out the Al-Baha Area Electrification Project. It is undertaking operation and maintenance of electrical facilities and training technicians in the general field of electricity. Besides, 767 medical personnel are serving in the kingdom's hospitals under private contracts.
Technical services rendered by demonstration teams range from cultivation of rice, soybeans, pineapples, sugar cane, vegetables, fruit, tea and mushrooms, hog raising, poultry raising, fresh and salt water fish and prawn cultivation.... to irrigation engineering, mechanization, soil conservation as well as bamboo and wood handi-crafting.
All of these technical missions are made up of carefully selected and specially trained personnel. As only experienced farmers, fishermen and handi-crafters are considered for the technical teams, there have been no failures.
Usually, an agricultural mission, upon arrival, will first embark on a period of experimentation. This will determine crop varieties, planting times, volume of fertilizers and supply of irrigation.
Then comes demonstration. Using the chosen crop varieties and tools best adapted to local conditions, farmers are shown what can be done and how to do it. Tours are conducted at times of cultivation, planting and harvesting.
Training is more highly organized than demonstration. Teaching in classrooms accompanies that in fields. Native instructors are trained to go out across the country and reach farmers who do not have direct contacts with the Chinese missions.
Such technical cooperation programs do not come cheap. The Republic of China has absorbed the lion's share of the costs. But the greatest benefits are awarded when demonstrators and learners work together in the same fields.
Indeed, these technical demonstration missions have grass roots importance. Although governments are involved in all of these programs, basic contacts are between people working with heads and hands to create a better livelihood. Strong and lasting friendships have thus been made for the Republic of China and its hard working people.
In many cases, the presence of the missions has also been a factor militating against a country's acceptance of an embassy from the Peiping regime. In several countries, even after they set up diplomatic relations with Communist China, Free China's technical missions have stayed on.
In early December, Premier Sun Yun-suan made a successful visit to the Republic of Indonesia with which this nation doesn't have diplomatic ties. Chinese agricultural and fishery missions stationed there have been positive factors in the development of more substantial relations between the two countries.
Deeply impressed by the fruits and vegetables that Chinese agricultural teams have grown on his country's soil, President Ngwazi Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda of Malawi noted that the Republic of China had extended invaluable assistance to the Malawian people through its technical missions.
Without doubt, technical cooperation is the ROC’s best foot forward in the international arena.
NEW OFFICES
The Republic of China will establish a trade office in Sydney, Australia, according to an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The office is seen as a natural outgrowth of the rapid growth of Australia-ROC trade.
According to Customs statistics, 1981 two-way trade between the ROC and Australia totaled US$1.265 billion.
The ROC already has an MOFA incorporated office in Melbourne, but the firm, the Far East Trading Co, is considered too far from Australia's business center. The new trade office in Sydney will be established as a branch of the Melbourne office. Both offices will be entitled to issue visas to Australians wishing to travel to Taiwan.
The China External Trade Development Council (CETDC) already has an office in Sydney. The CETDC firm is called the Far East Trade Service Inc., and is not related to the MOFA firm.
OVERSEAS TIES PROMOTED
Foreign Minister Chu Fu-sung told a news conference that the government of the Republic of China has successfully promoted substantive relations with all free world nations in the past year.
He said contacts at various levels between the ROC and foreign countries were frequent over the past year. Throughout the period, Chu added, the ROC strengthened its progressive image on the world stage.
The Minister reiterated the unswerving determination of the Republic of China not to make contact with the Chinese Communists. He warned again that the Peiping regime's "peace overtures" are merely united front tactics.
Minister Chu also listed the Ministry's main tasks for this year:
˙Increasing coordination by ROC missions abroad.
˙Accelerating the Ministry's research programs.
˙Cultivating more diplomatic talent.
Meanwhile, in a monthly news conference, Ministry spokesman Liu Ta-jen said the ROC attended a total of 615 international meetings over the past 12 months. During the period, he added, 12 economic, trade and cultural agreements were signed between the ROC and other countries.
He cited Premier Sun Yun-suan's recent trip to Indonesia as an example of the government's continuing efforts to strengthen substantive ties with friendly nations.
SINO-SAUDI TECHNICAL AGREEMENT CONCLUDED
The sixth session of the Sino-Saudi Permanent Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation, meeting in Riyadh, signed a joint agreement on scientific and technological cooperation.
The signators were the Chinese National Science Council and the Saudi Arabian National Center for Science and Technology.
The agreement is aimed at increasing contact and cooperation between scientists, engineers, technologists and institutions of research, development, and engineering of the two countries. It aims at providing more frequent opportunities for exchange of information, experience, ideas, skills and techniques on problems of common interest and to utilize special facilities available in both countries.
The cooperation will cover all recognized branches of science and technology.
In addition to the agreement, some of the session's additional results follow:
Science and technology
The Chinese fishery technical mission is to begin experiments on the common carp as a new species for inland pond culture after its initial success of the Tillapia project from artificial propagation to cultured maturity in the desert environment.
A sand stabilization project will soon be implemented by Chinese and Saudi experts in four selected sites here to determine if cost-effective methodology can be developed in the kingdom to prevent the encroachment of sand in marginal lands by means of progressive plantation of high-tolerance plant life. The sites include the Solar Village and the new campus of King Saud University.
Communications
The Saudi side renews its invitation to Chinese Vice Communications Minister Chen Shu-hsi to visit here and the Chinese side makes reciprocal invitations to Saudi officials.
Agriculture
The second five years agricultural cooperation agreement will be signed as soon as possible to insure uninterrupted implementation of the Chinese agricultural technical mission's work here.
More Saudi farmers will be trained in the Republic of China.
Trade
Due consideration will be given to the Chinese request for simplifying the procedure for Chinese businessmen to apply for visas to visit Saudi Arabia.
Saudi chemists will be sent to Taipei for training on quality control.
Industry and electricity
Any proposal by the Chinese side for joint venture in petrochemical downstream projects will be considered by the Saudi side.
The private sectors of the two countries will be encouraged to form joint ventures in the fields of food industry, Freon gas, and other industries, such as light bulbs, steel pipes, steel vessels, and concentrated animal feed.
The Taiwan Power Co. will assist the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Electricity in monitoring and updating its 25-years power development plan.
The Chinese side will assist in the operation and maintenance of the Naseriah power station.
Post and telecommunications
Several Chinese experts will be sent to work at the Saudi Ministry of Posts, Telephones and Telegraphs.
Five additional Taipei-Riyadh telephone circuits are planned to be added to the current seven channels.
Facsimile service is planned to be opened between the two countries.
Meteorology
The Saudi Meteorology and Environment Protection Administration will be invited to send specialists to participate in an international symposium on the assimilation power of the sea, to be held in Taipei in the spring of 1982. Finance
The Chinese proposal for adding China Ex-Im Bank and Bank of Communications as authorized guarantors of Chinese construction firms in the kingdom will be reviewed by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency.
SURVEY TRIP
Wu Ta-huei, general manager of the China Shipbuilding Corp., has left for a visit to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other countries to actively promote overseas markets.
Three oil tankers ordered by Kuwait's National Petroleum Corp. will be completed soon, Wu said. As the Kuwait company has planned to order additional ships, Wu decided to travel to the area for further contacts.
He will also visit the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Singapore, both to acquaint himself with the market for shipbuilding and to develop new business.