Lawmakers yesterday questioned Premier Simon Chang (張善政) and Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Andrew Hsia (夏立言) over the government’s apparent failure to be informed of the resumption of diplomatic ties between China and the Gambia via a hotline established last year between the MAC and its Chinese counterpart, the Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO).
The Gambia unilaterally broke diplomatic ties with Taiwan in November 2013. On Thursday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Gambia issued a joint statement saying that they had re-established diplomatic relations after 21 years.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement later that day saying that the decision was regrettable, with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Leo Lee (李澄然) saying: “We not only feel deep regret, but also want to strongly protest” this decision.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
Chang yesterday morning told reporters that even though the Gambia severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan two years ago, it does not sufficiently constitute an acceptable reason for China to re-establish ties with the Gambia, as the move could affect other nations that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Chang and Hsia were also questioned over China’s unilateral announcement, as the MAC revealed that it was informed of the news via a text message.
Hsia said the text messages were “the usual course of communication” between the MAC and the TAO, adding that TAO Minister Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) was not in the office when he asked to talk with him via the hotline.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Asked whether he considered China’s move to be a warning to the next administration, Hsia said: “Many people think so.”
However, Hsia added that China had “made a verbal promise several times that it would not resume ties with the Gambia [after the country broke ties with Taiwan].”
Asked whether the verbal promise had been documented, Hsia said “no,” but “there should be records of communication.”
Hsia later said that he thought the excuse given by the TAO that Zhang was not in the office was “insincere.”
Chang said he agreed with President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) comment that he was “dissatisfied” with the sudden news.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Su Chen-ching (蘇震清) said there is nothing for Ma’s administration to be dissatisfied with because it attests to “the failure of Ma’s so-called diplomatic truce over the past eight years,” adding that diplomacy requires “proactive action” on the part of the government.
Chang said: “I disagree with this comment; the new government can go ahead and have it your way.”
Additional reporting by CNA
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