時論廣場》外交作爲走調 立委監督不力（方恩格 Ross Darrell Feingold）

圖爲蔡英文總統（中）4月26日與瓜地馬拉總統賈麥岱（左）出席「咖啡胖卡全臺走透透」開幕活動，兩人剪綵象徵活動正式啓動。圖右爲總統府秘書長林佳龍。（資料照,陳怡誠攝）

臺灣外交處境艱難，但這並不意味着臺灣的立法委員應該爲外交行動「開空白支票」。然而，最近臺灣外交關係的發展，顯示出各政黨立委都需要把工作做得更好，以免浪費了臺灣的資源。

臺灣是少數在未被承認但自主自治的索馬利蘭開設代表處的國家之一，但有些臺灣人不明智地稱這種關係爲「準邦交」。蔡英文總統稱臺灣和索馬利蘭「共享民主自由的價值，是理念相近的夥伴」。事實上，索馬利蘭總統繆斯·比希·阿卜迪推遲了原定於2022年舉行的總統選舉，新聞自由受到威脅，且已經演變爲內戰，數百人喪生。

今年2月，許多國家聯合發表聲明譴責索馬利蘭內部衝突，美國政府呼籲「立即實行無條件停火併提供無障礙的人道救援通道」，同時聯合國難民署也呼籲國際社會提供人道援助，以協助逾10萬逃離衝突的難民。

雖然臺灣媒體也報導了索馬利蘭此新聞，但立委似乎對臺灣支持索馬利蘭政府不感興趣。最近在立法院，民進黨立委林靜儀向外交部長吳釗燮質詢臺灣與索馬利蘭的關係，只有問臺灣爲索馬利蘭學生提供的獎學金和爲索馬利蘭醫療援助的事宜。林靜儀並沒有質詢任何有關索馬利蘭延遲總統選舉、持續的衝突或人權問題，卻向外交部長吳釗燮詢問了與索馬利蘭進行國防合作的可能性。

儘管索馬利蘭的情況越來越嚴峻，在最近幾周，臺灣政府官員前往當地與索馬利蘭政府官員會面，參加了「第一屆臺灣-索馬利蘭能源和礦產資源聯合工作小組會議」，而臺灣駐索馬利蘭代表處也安排了臺灣商務代表團參訪索馬利蘭政府機構。整體而言，各政黨的立委似乎對臺灣如何與有外交關係的國家保持關係的細節不感興趣。

在2021年12月與臺灣斷交之前，尼加拉瓜曾是個典型的例子。最近，由「尼加拉瓜人權專家組」所撰寫的報告提交給了聯合國人權理事會，該報告確定了尼加拉瓜的安全機構在2018年反政府抗議活動中犯下了危害人類罪。這發生在2018年3月尼加拉瓜陸軍總司令拜訪蔡總統之後不久（他後來被美國製裁），而在2018年晚些時候，臺灣甚至向一名已被美國製裁的警官捐贈了數百萬美元（據稱是用於醫療援助）。

宏都拉斯共和國也是一個相似的例子。在2021年11月，蔡政府歡迎當時的總統葉南德茲來到臺灣（他在2022年1月結束任期）。葉南德茲已經因涉嫌販毒和其他罪行而受到調查，不久之後他被引渡至美國。不意外的是，當前總統秀瑪拉·卡蕬楚作爲葉南德茲的政治對手，她仍記得臺灣對葉南德茲的友好，並於今年3月決定終止與臺灣的外交關係。

蔡總統最近訪問了瓜地馬拉，且瓜地馬拉總統賈麥岱訪問了臺灣，但類似的事件也在那裡發生。蔡總統形容她訪問瓜地馬拉是爲了「堅定地捍衛自由民主價值」，總統府發言人林聿禪則表示，賈麥岱總統訪問臺灣是「攜手爲全球民主韌性共同努力」。然而，近幾個月國際社會已多次表達對賈麥岱政府欠缺民主的憂慮。國際人權組織批評賈麥岱政府禁止在野黨候選人在即將舉行的總統選舉中參選，而美國則批評其法治的惡化以及對記者的迫害。

就另一個臺灣友邦巴拉圭而言，同樣的模式也正在上演。在巴拉圭於4月30日舉行的總統大選後，外交部便給勝選的全國共和協會 - 科羅拉多黨候選人培尼亞賀電。與其競選對手阿萊格雷表示若是他勝選便會終止與臺外交關係的情況不同，大家預期培尼亞將繼續保持外交關係。

然而，巴拉圭的評論家聲稱培尼亞是「前總統、現任科羅拉多黨主席卡特斯的的傀儡」。今年1月，美國財政部宣佈對前總統卡特斯因涉嫌參與腐敗行爲以及與恐怖組織真主黨成員有關係而實施制裁。這是繼美國國務院在2022年宣佈卡特斯及其3名成年子女涉嫌參與重大貪污後的又一次行動。

當時巴拉圭總統卡特斯於2017年訪問臺灣時，蔡總統表示「她經常在社羣媒體上看到有關卡特斯總統政績的正面評論」，而卡特斯聲稱臺巴兩國的友好關係是奠基在對民主、自由和人權共同價值的尊崇。

在另一個和臺灣友邦聖文森及格瑞那丁，媒體最近報導，總理龔薩福表示，臺灣將貸款約2.14億美元用於基礎建設項目。財政部長還說，臺灣將貸款5000萬美元用於建造萬豪酒店。財政部長是總理的兒子。這會有什麼問題嗎？

不論總統出於哪個政黨，或立法院中哪些政黨佔多數或少數，也許現在是時候讓立法委員提出更好的質詢了。

（作者爲美國共和黨前亞太區主席，翻譯：許淳恩）

【全文】

Legislative Oversight Over Foreign Policy

By Ross Darrell Feingold

Former Asia Chairman, Republicans Abroad

Twitter: @RossFeingold

Taiwan’s challenging diplomatic circumstances does not mean Taiwan’s legislators should “write blank checks” for diplomatic efforts. However, recent developments in Taiwan’s foreign relationsd indicate that legislators from all of Taiwan’s political parties need to do a better job so that Taiwan’s resources are not wasted.

Taiwan is one of the few countries to open a representative office in the unrecognized but self-governing Somaliland, and some in Taiwan foolishly call the relationship “diplomatic recognition in waiting”. President Tsai Ing-wen called Taiwan and Somaliland “like-minded partners who share the values of democracy and freedom”. In fact, President Muse Bihi Abdi delayed the presidential election that was to occur in 2022, freedom of the press is under threat, and hundreds have died in what has become a civil war.

In February, many countries issued a joint statement to condemn the fighting in Somaliland, the United States government called for “an immediate, unconditional ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access”, and the United Nations Refugee Agency called for humanitarian aid to assist the over 100,000 refugees that fled the fighting.

Although Taiwan media has also reported about these developments, legislators seemed uninterested in Taiwan’s support for Somaliland’s government. Recently at the Legislative Yuan, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Ching-yi asked Foreign Minister Joseph Wu about Taiwan-Somaliland relations. Legislator Lin asked about scholarships for Somaliland students, and medical aid for Somaliland.

Legislator Lin didn’t ask a single question about Somaliland’s delayed presidential election, the ongoing fighting, or the human rights situation.

In fact, Legislator Lin even asked Foreign Minister Wu about the possibility of defense cooperation with Somaliland!

Despite the worsening situation in Somaliland, in recent weeks Taiwan government officials went there to meet with Somaliland government officials for the “1st Taiwan-Somaliland Joint Working Group on Energy and Mineral Resources Cooperation Meeting”, and, the Taiwan Representative Office in Somaliland arranged for a business delegation from Taiwan to visit Somaliland government agencies.

In general, legislators from all political parties seem uninterested in the details of how Taiwan maintains its relationships in those countries that have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Nicaragua (prior to termination of diplomatic relations with Taiwan in December 2021) is a typical example. Recently, a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council authored by the “Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua” determined that Nicaragua’s security agencies committed crimes against humanity against anti-government protestors in 2018. This occurred shortly after Nicaragua’s army commander-in-chief visited President Tsai in March 2018 (he was later sanctioned by the United States), and later in 2018 Taiwan even donated millions of United States dollars (supposedly for medical aid) to a police official who was already under United States sanctions.

Honduras is a similar example. In November 2021, the Tsai Administration welcomed then-president Juan Orlando Hernández to Taiwan, shortly before the end of his term in January 2022. Hernández was already under investigation for drug trafficking and other crimes, and not long after he left office he was extradited to the United States. Surely no one is surprised that current President Xiomara Castro, a political enemy of Hernández, remembered Taiwan’s friendliness to Hernández, and that in March this year she decided to terminate diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Even though President Tsai recently visited Guatemala, and Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei visited Taiwan, similar events are also occurring there.

President Tsai described her visit to Guatemala as necessary to “stand firm in defense of freedom and democracy”, and Presidential Office Spokesperson Olivia Lin described President Giammattei’s visit to Taiwan as “bolstering our joint efforts toward global democratic resilience”. However, in recent months the international community has repeatedly expressed concern about the lack of democracy under Giammattei. international human rights organizations criticized the banning of opposition candidates in the upcoming presidential election, and the United States criticized the deterioration of the rule of law and the persecution of journalists.

As for Paraguay, another country that has diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the pattern is repeating itself there too. After Paraguay's presidential election on April 30, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs congratulated winner Santiago Peña of the ruling Colorado Party (Asociación Nacional Republicana, ANR). Unlike his election opponent Efrain Alegre who said he would end diplomatic relations with Taiwan if he won the election, the expectation is that Peña will maintain diplomatic relations.

However, critics in Paraguay allege that Peña is “is acting as a puppet of party leader and main backer” former President Horatio Cartes Jara. In January this year, the United States Treasury Department announced sanctions against former president Cartes due to alleged participation in corruption and his relationships with members of terrorist organization Hezbollah. This followed the United States State Department announcement in 2022 that it had designated Cartes and three of his adult children for involvement in significant corruption.

When then-President Cartes visited Taiwan in 2017, President Tsai said “she often sees positive comments on social media about good things that President Cartes has done”, while Cartes claimed the friendly relations between Taiwan and Paraguay are based on respect for the common values of democracy, freedom, and human rights.

In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, another country that has diplomatic relations with Taiwan, media recently reported that Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said Taiwan will loan approximately USD214,000,000 for infrastructure projects. The finance minister also said that Taiwan will loan USD50,000,000 to build a Marriot hotel. The finance minister is the prime minister’s son. What can go wrong?

Regardless of which party the President comes from or which parties are a majority or minority in the Legislative Yuan, perhaps it is time for legislators to ask better questions.