The mayor of the first city in the US with an Asian majority is fast learning the intricacies of diplomatic protocol in a bid to prevent a spat between China and Taiwan, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
At his recent swearing-in ceremony, Monterey Park Mayor Francisco Alonso invited representatives of both China and Taiwan, but he let neither of them give a speech, fearing that by letting one speak before the other, he would create an international incident.
Both representatives were introduced to the crowd -- with the Chinese delegate getting on stage before the Taiwanese official arrived. The Chinese delegate didn't applaud when his neighbor was introduced later in the ceremony, the paper noted.
Monterey Park's status as the first US city with an Asian majority means that it attracts dozens of delegations each year from mainland China and Taiwan, which China has vowed to take control of, using force if necessary. Any breach of etiquette could prove offensive to these representatives, so officials in Monterey Park, located just east of Los Angeles, take extreme care at all city functions.
For example, at city banquets, one representative cannot be seated closer than the other to the mayor's table. And at a recent Chinese Lantern Festival, the mayor made sure they were equidistant to him on a single row of chairs.
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