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Add a slash to name: MOFA chief

Peter Wang, executive director of the Alliance to Campaign for Rectifying the Name of Taiwan, yesterday crosses out `Team China' at a press conference, urging the public to identify their athletes as `Team Taiwan.' PHOTO: LIU HSIN-TEH, TAIPEI TIMES

Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen (陳唐山) yesterday added yet another option to the growing list of names used to refer to Taiwan, saying that "Taiwan/ROC" could satisfy everyone, as "Taiwan" and "ROC" can be used interchangeably.

"If we use Taiwan-slash-ROC [Taiwan/ROC], doesn't this solve all our problems? Don't use the comma. The meaning of this is that we are called Taiwan and ROC -- this satisfies everyone, right?" Chen said.

"Taiwan/ROC means, for me personally, that Taiwan is ROC and ROC is Taiwan," Chen said. However, he was also quick to equivocate, saying that the suitability of "Taiwan/ROC" was just his personal sentiment.

"This is how I feel, I don't know if this would work," Chen said after explaining his stance.

Chen made the comments while on a trip to the east coast with several ambassadors. Chen was responding to the debate instigated by Premier Yu Shyi-kun's use of "Taiwan, ROC" while giving a speech in Honduras.

Chen explained that Yu's use of "Taiwan, ROC" was not a decision that the government had reached before Yu left for abroad, stressing that "Taiwan, ROC" was employed only after Yu discovered that even Taiwan's diplomatic allies confused "Republic of China" with "People's Republic of China."

The Dominican Republic called this country "China, Taiwan" during Yu's visit.

Chen further allayed fears that the government was aiming to change the nation's official title.

"President Chen Shui-bian [陳水扁] said it already: the nation's name will not be changed this term," Chen said.

"The TRA [Taiwan Relations Act] uses `Taiwan' from beginning to end, indicating that the US admits that we are Taiwan and they [China] are the People's Republic of China. I think this is very good," Chen said.

Chen explained that while the nation calls itself Taiwan now, the US does not agree to this.

"Politics is very confusing, and it is in this sort of confusing environment that we seek a space for survival," Chen said.

Currently, the nation is repre-sented in international governmental organizations under seven different names: ROC; Taiwan; ROC (Taiwan); Taiwan, ROC; Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (TPKM); Chinese Taipei; and "TaipeiChina."

According to foreign ministry officials, the nation is represented as "Taiwan" in four different international governmental organizations, as "ROC" in nine, as "ROC (Taiwan)" in none, as "Taiwan, ROC" in one, as "TPKM" in six, and as "Chinese Taipei" in 11.

In addition, Taiwan is repre-sented in the Asian Development Bank as "TaipeiChina," after protests called for changes to be made to "Taipei, China."

A ministry official said yesterday that the title suggested by Chen yesterday, "Taiwan/ROC," might previously have been used. The official, who asked not to be identified, said that while "Taiwan, People's Republic of China" and "Taiwan, Province of China," were unacceptable, other titles could be used with flexibility.

"We can't just focus on our subjective wishes; we also need to look at the objective reality," he said.
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