The Ambassador of Taiwan, Chi-Tai (John) Feng told Hoy newspaper that the President of Taiwan, Chen Sui-Bian, would visit the Dominican Republic on 5 November. President Mejia has officially visited Taiwan twice, in 2001 and 2002, but, according to a report in Hoy newspaper, he visited Taiwan more than 20 times before being appointed head of the Dominican government. This would be Sui-Bian’s second visit to the Dominican Republic, the first time having been to attend the inauguration of President Mejia in 2002. Ambassador Feng said that the Taiwanese President would visit both Santo Domingo and Santiago. The Taiwanese government has actively made donations to Dominican education, forestation, farming, health and vocational training programs, according to Roberto Juan, representative of the Taiwanese embassy.
Assistance from Taiwan also includes a US$1-million university scholarship program for Dominicans to study in Taiwan, and US$8 million to support programs at the Technological Institute of the Americas (ITLA) information systems university. The Taiwanese government has funded the construction of a US$15-million public hospital in southwestern Azua, scheduled to open in March 2004. Feng acknowledged that at present the trade balance between the two countries generally favors Taiwan, by a US$100-million surplus. He said he would try to serve as a catalyst for an increase in Dominican trade to Taiwan and believes Taiwan to be a market for Dominican coffee, cigars and amber, among other products.
Furthermore, Ambassador Feng told Hoy newspaper that high airfare is the only impediment to the development of Taiwanese tourism to the Dominican Republic.
Coincidentally, when the Ambassador earned his master’s degree at the University of North Dakota in the United States in 1973, he chose the Dominican Civil War of 1965 as a theme for his thesis. Ambassador Feng was born in 1946 and also has a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University.