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California city's sister-city agreement with China irks Taiwanese residents

A routine trip to China to establish a sister-city link has turned into a diplomatic embarrassment for a group of leaders from the Southern California city of Irvine.

A delegation of Irvine officials traveled to Xuhui, China, last month to add it to its group of sister cities. They returned home with a pledge that they would recognize only one China, break off official relations with a sister city in Taiwan, and never display the Taiwanese flag or play its national anthem.

The promise stung members of the city's Taiwanese community.

"That's a slap in the face to the thousands of Taiwanese people" in Southern California, said Jack Wu of Newport Beach, a former Irvine resident who is active in politics.

The problem occurred on May 30, after Irvine Mayor Beth Krom and Xuhui Mayor Sun Chao signed a document stating that the cities' relationship would be based on the 1979 agreement in which the US recognized the People's Republic of China as the only legal government of that country.

Irvine established a sister city relationship with Taoyuan, Taiwan, in 2000.

A city employee then signed a related memorandum listing the additional restrictions.

A spokeswoman for Sister Cities International in Washington said no similar incident had been reported by the 28 US cities and counties that have sister-city relationships in both China and Taiwan.

"To be honest, it's bizarre," said Ami Neiberger-Miller, communications director for Sister Cities International.

Irvine Councilwoman Christina Shea said she wanted both documents returned to Xuhui with the understanding that Irvine would agree only to a "nonpolitical" arrangement.
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