Sinorama staff members recently visited technical assistance missions from the Republic of China stationed in Central and South America, Africa and the Asia Pacific region. One group of reporters went to Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Bolivia where five of the most successful of the 10 ROC missions in the region are located.

The ROC has now been sending technical assistance missions overseas for some 21 years. Early emphasis was on African countries, though more recently it has switched to Latin American.

After the Second World War, African nations started to become independent, and the pace picked up in the 1960s. As the Chinese Communists tried to expand their influence, these newly independent countries became targets in a plot to isolate the ROC.

For this reason Yang Hsi-kun, director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs West Asia Department, proposed that the ROC engage in technical cooperative ventures in Africa. The government approved the proposal, and Project Vanguard, later known as the Sino-African Technical Cooperative Plan, was launched.

Investigation teams were sent to Africa to examine conditions, and African business and agricultural leaders were invited to Taiwan for consultations. On this foundation, a plan was drafted to help Africans improve their livelihood. It was decided from the start that the missions would concentrate on agriculture, because of the ROC's experience in the field, and because most African economies are rurally based.

As the ROC's economy grew, projects were expanded to more countries, and more categories, including fisheries, animal husbandry, handicrafts, sugar production and irrigation, were added.

The visit to Costa Rica by Sinorama staff members was assisted by ROC ambassador Wu Wen-hui, who spends much of his time inspecting farms in Costa Rica, and always keeps an eye open for ways in which the ROC can help.

The ROC first sent a 22-member agricultural technical assistance mission to Costa Rica in 1972. The mission is headquartered in San Jose with a branch in Coto Sur and two smaller stations in San Isidso and Upala.

Coto Sur, located in the extreme south of Costa Rica, was chosen because it is a remote, underdeveloped region.

The mission occupies three buildings in the dormitory of a U.S. banana company which has since withdrawn, while the remaining 20 buildings are used by Costa Rican farmers.

Mission leader, Wu Tien-lu, 46, is a veteran of ROC agricultural missions in Africa and Ecuador. "Our main work is to run a 30-hectare demonstration farm consisting of 23 hectares of farmland, a one hectare fishpond and 0.15 hectares for hog raising. Facilities include warehouses, roads and irrigation and drainage canals. We grow soybeans, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, and stockfeed," Wu said.

Running a successful demonstration farm is one thing, but convincing local farmers of the need to improve their farming methods is another. Mission members spend much of their time visiting farmers to explain new methods.

In 1980, the mission was expanded to include a three-member marine fishing industry technical assistance program. The group running this was stationed at Puntarenas, Costa Rica's largest fishing port with more than 200 boats.

By March 1982, the team had trained about 30 fishermen at a rate of two or three every month. By taking their knowledge back to their companies, these trainees have helped to improve catches and the livelihood of fishermen as a whole.

In 1981, a four-member team specializing in bamboo-growing and handicrafts arrived in Costa Rica to launch a training program. Mission members have already imported suitable varieties of bamboo and have investigated other locally available materials for their adaptability in manufacturing furniture. In March this year, some 50 bamboo handicraft items shown by the mission at the 8th Costa Rican handicrafts exhibition attracted great attention.

[Picture Caption]

1. These children live close to the headquarters of the agricultural technical aid group of the Republic of China around Coto Sur. 2. Office of the agricultural technical aid group in Coto Sur. 3. Members of the technical aid group inspecting crop progress. 4. Large-scale machines are used to cultivate the land. 5. Technicians inoculating hogs. 6. Members of the group dine together after a day's work.

1. Technicians praise farmers' good harvest of soybeans. 2. The Amanda family works hard. Shown here is Mr. Amanda feeding the hogs. 3. Mrs. Amanda feeds the fish. 4. Ambassador Wu Wen-huei and a reporter paid a visit to Sr. Fonseca, Costa Rica's Minister of Agriculture.

1-3. Members of the fishery technical aid group work with fishermen in Costa Rica. 4. Ambassador Wu wears a bamboo hat while exchanging views with technicians of the fishery technical aid group. 5. Technicians sometimes have to take unwanted fish out of the pond. 6. Ducks are discouraged from swimming in the pond by neighborhood children.

1. Children take home rejects from the mouth breeder fishpond. 2. & 3. Members of a bamboo handicraft assistance instruct people on making artifacts. 4. Cathedral De Los Angeles stands in Ruina Cartago, about 18 km away from San Jose. 5. Cathedral ruins are a national monument.

Members of the group dine together after a day's work.

Office of the agricultural technical aid group in Coto Sur.

Members of the technical aid group inspecting crop progress.

Large-scale machines are used to cultivate the land.

Technicians inoculating hogs.

Technicians praise farmers' good harvest of soybeans.

The Amanda family works hard. Shown here is Mr. Amanda feeding the hogs.

Mrs. Amanda feeds the fish.

Ambassador Wu Wen-huei and a reporter paid a visit to Sr. Fonseca, Costa Rica's Minister of Agriculture.

Members of the fishery technical aid group work with fishermen in Costa Rica.

Members of the fishery technical aid group work with fishermen in Costa Rica.

Members of the fishery technical aid group work with fishermen in Costa Rica.

Ambassador Wu wears a bamboo hat while exchanging views with technicians of the fishery technical aid group.

Technicians sometimes have to take unwanted fish out of the pond.

Ducks are discouraged from swimming in the pond by neighborhood children.

Children take home rejects from the mouth breeder fishpond.

2. & 3. Members of a bamboo handicraft assistance instruct people on making artifacts.

Members of a bamboo handicraft assistance instruct people on making artifacts.

Cathedral De Los Angeles stands in Ruina Cartago, about 18 km away from San Jose.

Cathedral ruins are a national monument.