<Kanwa news April 14, 1999> Taiwan has decided to send its sappers to Macedonia. It is reported that six sappers were selected and sent to Macedonia by the Defense Ministry to help build the local field hospitals. It has been the first time since the end of the Second World War for Taiwan to send its servicemen to carry out a mission in the chaotic war-stricken area in Europe. In the meantime, Taiwan has also decided to spend five million US dollars helping Macedonia settle down the refugees. In addition, the Foreign Ministry of Taiwan has purchased the supplies in aid involving hundreds of thousands of dollars and has asked its embassy in Macedonia to buy two million dollars' worth of medical supplies in the local area.

Obviously, the above-mentioned dispatch of the Taiwanese sappers is a program between the two governments. Taiwan's motive for it is to "kill two birds with one stone". On the one hand, Taiwan intends to further stabilize its diplomatic relationship with Macedonia and to expand its scope of the similar relationships in Europe. On the other hand, what it has done is also an important step to getting close to the NATO. This will undoubtedly cause a great deal of attention from Beijing. Throughout the crisis on the Balkan Peninsula, Beijing made an unprecedented, public criticism of the NATO. Beijing is concerned that the pattern of the NATO and its tendency toward internationalization will affect the other regions of the world. US Secretary of State Albright publicly indicated on April 6 that in the 21st century, the NATO would carry out the missions outside of the territories of its member countries and that the missions could either be carried out solely by the member countries or be jointly fulfilled by both the member and non-member countries.

Although the above movement of Taiwan is not included in NATO's general scope of actions, yet it demonstrates that Taiwan's "international contribution" practically exists and it is within the current NATO's scope of influence ( Kanwa news).

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