Taiwan sets up shop in Ulan Bator

Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新) announced yesterday that Taiwan and Mongolia are exchanging representative offices to promote bilateral relations.

"In a bid to strengthen and develop bilateral cooperation in areas such as economics, trade, culture, tourism and labor affairs, the ROC and Outer Mongolia reached an agreement to set up representative offices in each other's capitals starting Sept. 1," Chien said at a ministry press conference.

The establishment of offices is also meant to strengthen understanding between the people of Taiwan and Mongolia, Chien said.

The ministry said that Taiwan's office in Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia, was established on Sunday, under the name "Taipei Trade and Economic Representative Office in Ulan Bator."

Albert Huang (黃清雄), formerly a senior staff member at the Taipei Mission in Korea, Seoul, has been named as the representative to Mongolia.

However, Mongolia is not yet ready to open its office in Taipei, which will be called the "Ulan Bator Trade and Economic Representative Office in Taipei."

According to Chien, the ministry began negotiating with its Mongolian counterpart in February about an exchange of offices. An agreement was signed in June.

Chien said the agreement does not violate the ROC's Constitution nor will it create any problems about diplomatic recognition.

"It has been an international reality in the international community that Outer Mongolia is an independent state," said Chien, noting that Mongolia is a UN member and is recognized by more than 140 nations, including the PRC.

The ROC formally recognized Mongolia as an independent state in January 1946 after signing the Sino-Soviet Friendship Treaty in August 1945.

In that treaty, the ROC had agreed to recognize Mongolian independence if the Mongolian people voted in favor of it in a referendum. A referendum was held in October 1945, with the electorate voting overwhelmingly for independence. However, in 1953 the ROC government revoked the 1945 treaty and renewed its claims to "Outer Mongolia" as part of its "Mainland Area."

Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission General-Secretary Chien Shih-yin (錢世英) said yesterday that the commission welcomes such a development and believes that it will benefit exchanges between Taiwan and Mongolia.

"Taiwan has developed relations with Mongolia since 1991. In the past 11 years, Taiwan has fostered [the development of]many professionals for Mongolia. The relationship between Taiwan and Mongolia is firm and deep," Chien Shih-yin said, pointing out that the leaders of many of Mongolia's state-run businesses have been trained in Taiwan because their government is interested in Taiwan's experiences in economic development.

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) declined to comment on the new representative offices yesterday, saying that it was a matter for the foreign ministry to handle.

In January, the MAC amended its administrative orders, which are based on the Statute Governing the Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例), to delete Mongolia from the statute's definition of the mainland area.

The MAC move meant that Mongolians wanting to visit Taiwan are now required to have visas the same as other foreigners.

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