Taiwan's leader sets off for Guatemala, St. Lucia

Chen will attend the inauguration of Guatemalan President-elect Alvaro Colom before visiting St. Lucia. He will make a transit through Anchorage in the United States, aides said.

"China did not show signs of easing its military threat, diplomatic suppression and economic warfare against Taiwan over the past one or two years, but has instead stepped up those efforts," Chen said before boarding a chartered flight.

The trip followed his ruling Democratic Progressive Party's severe setback in Saturday legislative elections. The party won only 27 seats against the opposition Nationalist Party's 81.

Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949. China's rising political and economic clout has helped it persuade more countries to recognize Beijing instead of Taipei, reducing the number of Taiwan's allies to only 24 - most of them small and impoverished nations in Latin America, Africa and the South Pacific.

Last week, St. Lucia's main opposition leader said his party would boycott a visit by Chen, accusing Taiwan of interfering in local government affairs and favoring the ruling United Workers Party by giving certain parliament members money to fund projects in their constituencies.

Taiwan has denied such charges.

The Caribbean nation severed its 10-year diplomatic ties with China to recognize Taiwan last year.

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