Mon, Jul 15, 2002 page3

• It's all in a name for `Taiwan'

  The official name of the country may be the Republic of China, but as the recent furor of the unexpected change of name for the Taiwan chapter of Lions Clubs International shows, the reality of international relations requires the government to present itself to global organizations under many different guises

  • By Sandy Huang / STAFF REPORTER
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  When asked where they come from, most people can easily reply Canada, the US, Japan, the Philippines or wherever. But ask someone from this country the same question and you could get one of many answers.

  Taiwan participates in international organizations under many guises: the Republic of China, Taiwan, Chinese Taipei, Taipei China or even Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.

  On his recent trip to Taiwan's diplomatic allies in Africa, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was quizzed by Fradique de Menezes, president of Sao Tome and Principe, about the confusion over Taiwan's name.

  

  Denny Hsu, chairman of Taiwan's chapter of Lions Clubs International, explains some of the suggestions for membership flags for China and Taiwan.

  PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES

  "He [de Menezes] couldn't understand why Taiwan is sometimes named the `ROC,' sometimes `Taiwan' or even sometimes `Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.' He couldn't distinguish the difference between them," Chen was quoted as saying at an informal chat with reporters when he returned last week.

  The question of what the country is officially called was also raised at a rally in May.

  The rally, organized by the "Alliance to Campaign for Rectifying the Name of Taiwan" (台灣正名運動聯盟), was arranged to promote changing the nation's name to "Taiwan" to help the country assert its place in the international community.

  

  PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES

  Unique situation

  Because of Taiwan's unique situation, there are huge inconsistencies in the names it uses in government-level organizations.

  Taiwan is referred to as "Chinese Taipei" at the Olympic Games and "Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu" in the WTO. It is bidding for observer status in the WHO as "Health Entity of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu."

  However, Taiwan's membership in international non-governmental organizations -- many of which stress their non-political nature -- has also run into name problems.

  The recent furor over the change in name of Taiwan's chapter of Lions Clubs International (LCI) once again ignited the controversy over the country's name.

  LCI, Rotary Club International and Junior Chamber International (JCI) are the so-called "top three NGOs" in Taiwan, in which their Taiwan chapters enjoy large memberships and are influential in several professions.

  In April, LCI's headquarters in Chicago decided to remove the ROC flag from the membership flag of the chapter and changed its name from "ROC Lions Club" to "China Taiwan Lions Club."

  Denny Hsu (徐明德), former chairman of the Taiwan chapter, said the chapter was not consulted first and that the move was made under pressure from China.

  "We, of course, welcome the clubs that are being established in mainland China, so that free speech and freedom of assembly can become more widespread there," Hsu said.

  "However, it's unreasonable and unjust to ask that the Taiwan chapter, a loyal member of LCI for more than 50 years, downgrade our name simply because of the additions from mainland China."

  In May, the first two chapters in China, in Guangdong and Shenzhen, were added to LCI's more than 44,600 clubs in 189 countries and were named "China Guangdong" and "China Shenzhen."

  According to Hsu, LCI has been eyeing the large population in China as a way to reach its goal of getting 1.5 million members.

  Hsu added that LCI had contributed US$15 million in 1997 to the China Disabled Persons Federation to launch SignFirst China Action, a five-year program to improve eye healthcare.

  Deng Pufang (鄧樸方), the son of China's late leader Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平), is the president of the China Disabled Persons Federation.

  "That donation included money from the members of the Taiwan chapter, which is in the top 10 of the LCI's 186 members in terms of financial contributions every year," Hsu said, adding that LCI had donated another US$15 million this year to extend the program for another five years.

  "We are more than willing to help out the needy [in China]. That's what LCI is for -- to serve," Hsu said. "But LCI shouldn't just forsake its old friend after getting new friends."

  Though a temporary agreement has been reached to address the chapter's as "Taiwan Area MD300," MD300 being its the chapter's code number, the name still lacks the implication the chapter is from a country, Hsu said.

  The chapter will work to change its membership name when the LCI's Board of International Directors meets in October to address this issue, he said.

  Acting early

  The Taiwan chapter of the Missouri-based JCI has saved itself the potential embarrassment of a name change by acting early.

  JCI is a worldwide federation of young professionals and entrepreneurs active in 110 countries. The NGO contributes to several UN agencies, including UNICEF and UNCTAD.

  Elton Liou (劉燦樹), national president of JCI's Taiwan chapter, said that in 1997 the Taiwan chapter changed its registered membership name from "ROC" to "Taiwan."

  "We did this because we foresaw that our membership name would be an issue after Hong Kong returned to China and [the chapter there] would be called `China Hong Kong,'" Liou said. "We took the initiative to change our membership name before China could use its influence to exert pressure to rename us `China Taiwan.'"

  Liou said that a vote was taken during the chapter's general assembly that year, in which "Taiwan" was the name favored by majority of its members.

  "We then forwarded our name-change proposal to JCI's board of directors, which passed our proposition and, voila, our membership name has been `Taiwan' ever since," Liou said.

  By using "Taiwan" in its registered name, Liou said, the Taiwan chapter was not downgrading itself to the level of regional chapter but was upholding its chapter identity at a national level, as is usual within the JCI organization.

  "Different NGOs have different ways of thinking," Liou said. "With JCI, our proposal to change our national membership name to `Taiwan' did not set off much debate within the organization."

  "After all, NGOs are non-governmental organizations," he said. "So they should be free from all political interference."

  When asked whether the Taiwan chapter would encounter similar problems to those of LCI's Taiwan chapter, Liou was optimistic.

  "Though Taiwan's JCI membership of 7,200 is relatively small compared with other JCI chapters, we have displayed our strength by being in the top 10 financial contributors to the organization almost every year," Liou said,

  JCI has had a Taiwan chapter for 58 years.

  "Besides, I don't think that in the near future the JCI would be interested in including any members from China, since JCI is an organization that stresses legality and democracy," he said. "As long as China remains the way it is, I don't think JCI would be interested in setting up any operations there either."

  A member of the Taiwan chapter of Rotary International said that his organization was also unlikely to accept members from China.

  Iap Phok-bun (葉博文), founder of the Taipek Kiangshen Rotary Club, a sub-district of the Taiwan chapter, gave the example of China's treatment of the Falun Gong to demonstrate why he thought the club was not suitable for a communist country.

  "If, however, China later became a member of Rotary Club International, the Taiwan chapter would definitely work to maintain Taiwan's respect and dignity and not to have our membership name changed because of China," Iap said.

  Rotary, an organization of business and professional leaders, operates in more than 160 countries worldwide. It has about 1.2 million members in more than 30,000 clubs.

  According to Iap, Taiwan chapter has been a member to the Rotary Club International for more than 70 years.

  Surprise

  However, Rotary International's Taiwan chapter has not always been pleased with the way its headquarters has treated it.

  "When I applied to found a sub-chapter in 1996, I found out that the Taiwan chapter had been called `Taiwan China,'" Iap said.

  "When I realized this absurdity, I wrote a protest letter to the NGO's headquarters and had chapter members sign a petition to have our membership name changed to `Taiwan,'" he said.

  After Frank Dailyn, then president of Rotary International, visited Taiwan in 1998, he took home the name-change proposal from the Taiwan chapter, Iap said. The organization's headquarters decided very quickly to accept the proposal and change the name from "Taiwan China" to "Taiwan," he said.

  "Throughout the entire process, Rotary Clubs International headquarters did not give us any trouble regarding our request for a name change," Iap said.

  "What surprised me was that after the chapter finally had its membership name rectified, unbelievably to me, there were still a few voices within the chapter a couple of years ago who wanted to have our membership name changed to be called `ROC,'" he said.

  Iap argued that the chapter should stick to the name "Taiwan" because it was more recognizable to people around the world than that the name "ROC."

  "Taiwanese people who have experienced traveling abroad know what I am talking bout," he said.

  "When you say you are from Taiwan, you are acknowledged with a sense of recognition of where you are from," Iap said. "But when you said that you are from the ROC, people in foreign countries are often clueless and then mistake you as someone from mainland China."

  Iap said the issue was settled with a vote among the chapter members last month. "About 90 percent favored being called `Taiwan' and only 1 percent favored being addressed as `ROC.'"

  Iap recommended that the Taiwan chapter of LCI stand its ground in the face of China's aggressive push to change its name.

  Iap suggested that LCI's Taiwan chapter should consider seeking assistance and support from its sister clubs in other countries.

  "These sister clubs have witnessed the Taiwan chapter's contribution and commitment to the LCI all these decades," Iap said, "and thus they can play an important role in supporting the Taiwan chapter from being sacrificed."

  "We should stand up for what we believe and not be intimidated and pushed around," he said. As long as the chapter demonstrates its "actual strength and merit," it should succeed, he said.
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