Voice of America
Date: April 08, 2018
By: Lisa Schlein

FILE – Students at the vocational training center of reference (Centre de formation professionnelle de reference de Ziniare (CFPR-Z)) in Ziniare, 35kms of Ouagadougou hold Taiwan’s and Burkina Faso’s flags during the visit of Taiwan’s President on April 9

TAIPEI — Taiwan says it regrets that the “one China” policy insisted on by Beijing prevents it from providing much needed development aid to most countries in Africa.

Taiwan was in a relatively good diplomatic position in Africa several years ago. Taiwan’s Deputy Secretary-General for International Cooperation and Development, Pai-po Lee, says this made it possible for those countries that had diplomatic relations with Taiwan to benefit from his agency’s aid projects.

“Previously, we have over nine countries with Taiwan. For instance, Senegal, the Gambia, Chad, Niger, Liberia, Central Africa — also Sao Tome Principe… Six years ago, they still have relations with Taiwan. But, then they shifted to China,” said Pai-po Lee.
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