Black Hollow”: changing orientation

Nauru, a corral island with reputation of Bermudan triangle of the world financial ocean, has changed its orientation from Taiwan to China.

Yesterday, in Hong Kong, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Zhou Wenzhong and and Nauru President Rene Harris, on behalf of the two governments, signed a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations. According to Zhenmin Zhibao daily, the Nauru government acknowledged that there was only one China in the world, and the Chine government was the only legal government, while Taiwan was a part of Chinese territory. Since July 21, Nauru severed its relation to Taiwan, pledging itself not to have official relations with it. China, in its turn, declared its support of the Nauru efforts aimed for maintaining independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, for development of national economy.

Territorial integrity of Nauru seems not to be so complicated issue: the square of Nauru makes about 20 square kilometres, while the real threat could be expected only from ocean high tide and typhoons. Though, the name of Nauru is well known to everybody who possesses mines, works, aircraft, ships etc.: according to Russian Central Bank, within only 1998, 70 billion dollars were removed from Russia to Nauru.

The question is that Nauru plays a role of offshore zone, a kind of main laundry for black money and other financial machinations. “Republic Nauru secures even more strict secret of deposit than Switzerland. There is no currency control,” – reports one of Russian-language sites advertizing doubtful advantages of equatorial atoll.

Taking into account that the number of the Nauru population makes only 11,850 people, Russia’s tribute to this black hollow in 1998 is fantastically great – almost 6 million dollars per Naurian head. Though, the Nauru people have never seen these greens, because their island is only a transit point created by the civilized community for financial manipulations. Republic Nauru, where there are 400 financial institutions (one per 30 heads) is as poor as church mouse. This could be concluded from that plaints which sound today in Taibai: the change of the Nauru course could be explained with the fact that China offered Nauru a $60 million grant and promised to help resolve its $77 million debt with an American company.

Is the competition between Beijing and Taibai in obtaining sympathy of the Nauru citizens connected with specifics of “black hollow”? Probably, it is not. The main thing seems to be politics. The Taibai authorities are doing their best to broaden their positions in the world arena, while the Chinese government hinders from it.

Now, after Nauru has changed its course, the number of countries maintaining “diplomatic” relations with Taiwan, is by 27 countries less (thanks to African and Latin-American countries which till recently got from Taiwan too generous sops), while the number of states oriented for Beijing has grown by 165.

Andrei Krushinsky PRAVDA.Ru Beijing

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/07/22/44511.html