Preparing for an embassy
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs established the Coordination Council for North American Affairs on March 1, 1979, as a counterpart to the American Institute in Taiwan, which was established after the US’ Taiwan Relation Act (TRA) was passed by the US Congress on April 10, 1979, and retroactively took effect Jan. 1, 1979.
On May 25, the ministry announced that, after thorough discussion with the US, it was renamed the Taiwan Council for US Affairs.
After 40 years of ambiguity, Taiwan is finally identified as Taiwan and officially has relations with the US.
It is exciting news for all Taiwanese, especially Taiwanese-Americans. Does it mean that the US will soon establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan and that the diplomatic office in Washington will be called an embassy?
No, not until the government is confirmed. There are a lot of procedures to process.
According to the TRA, the US de-recognized the Republic of China (ROC) government and only recognized it as the governing authorities on Taiwan.
Under its “one China” policy, the US cannot recognize the ROC and reinstate diplomatic relations with it.
On July 19, 2007, then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) used the letterhead “ROC Presidential Office” when addressing then-UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon to apply for membership for Taiwan, but the ROC was rejected immediately.
UN Resolution 2758, passed on Oct. 25, 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China as the only legitimate representative of China to the UN.
Also, the 530th UN Security Council Meeting on Nov. 30, 1950, in a 9-1 vote rejected China’s complaint of a US invasion of Taiwan.
So, neither the ROC nor the People’s Republic of China own the sovereignty of Taiwan.
On Aug. 30, 2007, Dennis Wilder, then-US National Security Council senior director for Asian Affairs, said: “Taiwan, or the Republic of China, is not at this point a state in the international community. The position of the United States government is that the ROC ... is an issue undecided, and it has been left undecided, as you know, for many, many years.”
What the council’s change of name seems to say it that it is time for the US to decide on the overdue issue of the ROC and Taiwan.
While the US Congress passed the TRA in 1979, the ROC government did not agree to clarify the identity of Taiwan, which helped determine the council’s original name.
Nowadays, every Taiwanese realizes that the legal system of the ROC is nothing but a joke.
The ROC does not own sovereignty of China at all, not even Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Yes, it is a clear message by the US as the principal occupying power of Taiwan after World War II under the authorization of the San Francisco Peace Treaty to inform Taiwanese that it is time to pursue a final legal politic status.
It has been 40 years since the TRA was promulgated. The US has given the green light for Taiwan to have its name changed.
However, are we ready? Are we ready for an embassy? Hopefully we can grasp this critical moment at least to first make clear who we are: Taiwanese or Chinese?
John Hsieh
Hayward, California
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