A delegation of 10 Taiwanese-American organizations urged the government yesterday to change the name of Taiwan's office in Washington from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) as to the Taiwan Representative Office.
The delegation presented 10,000 letters written by Taiwanese-Americans to President Chen Shui-bian (
PHOTO: SEAN CHAN, TAIPEI TIMES
"The president told us rectifying the name is not an easy matter. It demands everyone's effort," said Bob Yang (
The delegation will present the letters to Legislative speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新) today.
"This name rectification campaign is the largest of its kind in history. The letters represent most Taiwanese-Americans' wish to change the name of TECRO," Yang said.
Many Americans do not know TECRO represents Taiwan, Yang said, and Taiwan has degraded itself by using a city's name to represent itself.
The delegation said the US government would welcome attempts to change TECRO's name, which would help clarify Taiwan's status in the international community.
"Americans called our country Taiwan when drawing up the Taiwan Relations Act. US President George W. Bush calls our country Taiwan and our people Taiwanese," Yang said. "We should wait no more. Now is the time to rectify the name."
According to Timmy Chiu (
"If our people regard Taiwan as a sovereign country, they should call their country Taiwan," Chiu said.
Chiu said it was within Taiwan's power to change TECRO's name.
Ng Chiau-tong (
"One is the People's Republic of China; the other is the Republic of China. The only difference is that we do not have the word `people,'" Ng said.
According to Ng, it was Taiwan's former "dictators" -- referring to the previous KMT governments -- that did not allow the people to call the country "Taiwan."
Nora Tsay (
"The campaign to rectify the name of TECRO is only like moving a rock of the mountain," Tsay said.
The groups had presented the 10,000 letters to TECRO chief Chen Chien-jen (
But the groups were disappointed with Chen Chien-jen's response to their presentation, so they decided to come to Taiwan to petition the president themselves.
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