A parliamentary delegation is visiting ASEAN member states to lobby for Taiwan to be named a dialog member of the regional grouping, the Central News Agency (CNA) reported yesterday.
“The world is moving toward integration, like the integration of the Americas, the European Union and ASEAN. Taiwan does not want to be marginalized,” CNA quoted Deputy Parliament Speaker Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) as saying during a meeting with Bangkok-based Taiwanese businessmen.
China, Japan and South Korea are already ASEAN dialog partners, Tseng said, and will become ASEAN trading partners in 2010, 2011 and 2012 respectively.
Tseng said he would meet with Thai parliamentarians to seek their support for Taiwan’s becoming an ASEAN dialog partner, or a member of ASEAN Plus Four.
Tseng said he plans to visit all 10 ASEAN countries, but this current trip only includes Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.
Currently recognized by only 23 countries, Taiwan is also seeking to become a partner and sign a free-trade pact with ASEAN.
Analysts said that unless ASEAN gets approval from China, the regional grouping would not want to develop close ties with Taipei.
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