Central Americans reject bid

In a surprise move, Taiwan's five Central American allies have declined to sign a bilateral free trade agreement when the President Lee Teng-hui visits the region in September. In an interview with the China Times, Board of Foreign Trade director-general Lin Yi-fu confirmed the unexpected change of the proposed agreement, which involves El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Economics Minister Wang Chih-kang, who returned from a Central America trip on Monday, had hoped to work out a draft for the agreement.