Taiwan's chief representative to the US, Stephen Chen (
DPP legislators Chang Chuan-tien (
Lee told visiting DPP legislators last Sunday that officials at Taiwan's Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the US had stored thousands of English versions of his book, With the People Always in My Heart (
Lee discovered this after talking to a visiting US congressman who said he never received the book that was supposed to be circulated by TECRO among DC-based think tanks, congress and senate members, Chang said.
"This shows that Taiwan's representative offices abroad have really done a poor job promoting Taiwan in the international community," Chang said.
After receiving the two legislators, Control Yuan member Ko Min-mou (
However, at a meeting of the Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee of the Legislative Yuan yesterday, some DPP lawmakers said the case illustrated how anti-Lee diplomats from Taiwan had ignored their duties on the diplomatic front.
"This case is only the tip of the iceberg," said DPP legislator Parris Chang (
"My worry is that if there are so many anti-Lee diplomats from Taiwan, how can they do their job properly?" said Chang.
He said Chen had been the target of some lawmakers' criticisms in January over his apprehension regarding the "Taiwan Security Enhancement Act" which was then under deliberation in the US Congress.
Chen also candidly pointed out that Lee's declaration of "special state-to-state" relations across the Taiwan Strait was made without consulting the US and had adversely affected the bond of "mutual trust" between Taiwan and the US.
Minister of Foreign Affairs C.J. Chen (
Hong Chi-chang (
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