The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reportedly drawn up principles for how non-governmental organizations should handle naming at overseas exchanges. The principles say that when they go abroad, they should first try to use the nation’s official title.
Some people with a background in diplomacy have pointed out that the prerogative of deciding what title is used generally lies not with participating organizations, but with the host organization, which bases its decision on the rules governing participation and the principles by which the question has been handled in the past. To put it simply, participants cannot change their titles just because they want to.
Foreign policy has always been an extension of domestic policy. It reflects citizens’ standpoints as expressed to the outside world and their desire for the best possible outcome.
The ministry’s suggestion might be intended, in the name of Taiwanese organizations, to achieve the best possible outcome for the government in the course of overseas activities. Of course, for the government to use the bottom-up method of expressing its ideas through non-governmental organizations is one of the main ways to enhance Taiwan’s international exposure and exchanges.
Experience shows that soft demands arising from among the public that do not involve any expression of standpoints can generally win more confirmation and support than other approaches.
However, hoping for the best possible outcome does not always mean that it will be achieved. Actions that deliberately ignore international realities might bring negative results. Notably, deliberately stressing the factor of where an organization comes from might cause disputes that could have a knock-on effect for similar groups’ opportunities. So the naming issue should be approached with caution.
To put it another way, deliberately challenging the “status quo” might be the best way to break out of long-term ingrained habits, but foreign relations is not the right arena to challenge the rules and then talk about how the rules have been broken.
Similarly, it is unwise to take non-prescription medicine and then complain about its claims of miraculous healing effects.
Seeking certainty from stability might be a better way to encourage the public to enthusiastically partake in diplomatic activities.
Chou Yi is an adjunct assistant professor of ocean law and policy at National Taiwan Ocean University.
Translated by Julian Clegg
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