Due to its unique international situation, Taiwan is often obliged to resort to all kinds of self-demeaning titles in its dealings with international entities or foreign countries, such as joining sports events as “Chinese Taipei” or calling its embassies “trade offices.”
Even with countries with whom it has diplomatic relations, Taiwan has to use the name “Republic of China” (ROC).
Taiwanese have long been subject to the ignominy of seeing their government have to accept these compromises. Given the rapidly changing international situation, Taiwan now has a rare opportunity to redress this injustice.
On Dec. 17, the Formosan Association for Public Affairs, which has for decades advocated in Washington for Taiwan’s interests, initiated a joint letter by 78 US lawmakers, presented to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, calling on the US government to change the name of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington to the “Taiwan Representative Office.”
During a question-and-answer session in the Legislative Yuan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Tseng (曾厚仁) confirmed that these events were unfolding. Taiwanese were elated when they heard the news.
If Taiwan is to gradually regain respect in the international community, one of the main factors is its reliance on the support of the US.
In the same vein, if the Taiwanese industry is to keep developing, be it semiconductors or traditional industries, it would also need the US market to keep growing.
This is something that not only international relations experts and the business community acknowledge: Taiwanese are keenly aware of it, too.
The Formosa Republican Association (FRA) has consistently supported the government in strengthening its relations with the US.
In the name of the FRA, I call on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to get fully behind this joint letter in support of Taiwan and not to leave it at the tepid acknowledgment that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued.
Naturally, the FRA understands why the ministry might have certain misgivings about throwing its full weight behind the initiative, but if it is inconvenient for the government to express a positive response to the goodwill shown by our US friends, then at least the DPP could do so in its capacity as a political party, or perhaps even through a non-governmental organization proxy.
At the same time as the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is attempting to put a spanner in the works of the allowing US pork imports, the FRA also brings attention to the fact that the KMT fully supported US pork and beef imports when it was in power.
It did so because it was all too aware that the US is Taiwan’s lifeline. Historically speaking, the fact that the KMT regime in Taiwan was able to survive at all was largely due to the help it received from the US, not least the military shield it provided.
The KMT is the last party in Taiwan that should forget what the US has done for the nation and the last party to oppose the US. The KMT legislative caucus in October proposed a motion to address the frequent incursions into Taiwan’s airspace by Chinese People’s Liberation Army fighter jets, saying that the government should work to persuade the US to help Taiwan defend against China and work toward the resumption of formal diplomatic ties with Washington. These motions were passed with cross-party support in the legislature on Oct. 6.
During a lecture at the FRA, Akio Yaita, a writer at the Taipei bureau of Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun, questioned how it was that the KMT expects the US to send its military to help Taiwan resist the Chinese communists on one hand, but on the other accuses the US of trying to sell toxic pork products to Taiwan.
As there is cross-party support for working to ask for US assistance in combating China and for resuming official US-Taiwan relations, the DPP and KMT should unite in welcoming the goodwill shown to Taiwan by its US friends.
The FRA believes that this would receive widespread approval in Taiwan, and any political party that unilaterally opposed this position would surely risk having the electorate retract its support.
Taiwanese want to see their nation engage with the rest of the world under its proper name, Taiwan.
This is the public will, and the two largest political parties in Taiwan should represent the electorate. They should not only acknowledge the goodwill of Taiwan’s overseas allies, but also let the world know that Taiwanese want Taiwan to be called Taiwan, and no longer want their nation to be confused with the ROC.
Tommy Lin is director of Wu Fu Eye Clinic and president of the Formosa Republican Association.
Translated by Paul Cooper
In a summer of intense political maneuvering, Taiwanese, whose democratic vibrancy is a constant rebuke to Beijing’s authoritarianism, delivered a powerful verdict not on China, but on their own political leaders. Two high-profile recall campaigns, driven by the ruling party against its opposition, collapsed in failure. It was a clear signal that after months of bitter confrontation, the Taiwanese public is demanding a shift from perpetual campaign mode to the hard work of governing. For Washington and other world capitals, this is more than a distant political drama. The stability of Taiwan is vital, as it serves as a key player
Yesterday’s recall and referendum votes garnered mixed results for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). All seven of the KMT lawmakers up for a recall survived the vote, and by a convincing margin of, on average, 35 percent agreeing versus 65 percent disagreeing. However, the referendum sponsored by the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on restarting the operation of the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County failed. Despite three times more “yes” votes than “no,” voter turnout fell short of the threshold. The nation needs energy stability, especially with the complex international security situation and significant challenges regarding
Much like the first round on July 26, Saturday’s second wave of recall elections — this time targeting seven Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers — also failed. With all 31 KMT legislators who faced recall this summer secure in their posts, the mass recall campaign has come to an end. The outcome was unsurprising. Last month’s across-the-board defeats had already dealt a heavy blow to the morale of recall advocates and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), while bolstering the confidence of the KMT and its ally the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). It seemed a foregone conclusion that recalls would falter, as
The fallout from the mass recalls and the referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant continues to monopolize the news. The general consensus is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been bloodied and found wanting, and is in need of reflection and a course correction if it is to avoid electoral defeat. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has not emerged unscathed, either, but has the opportunity of making a relatively clean break. That depends on who the party on Oct. 18 picks to replace outgoing KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫). What is certain is that, with the dust settling
RSS