The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked US representatives Steve Chabot and Ami Bera for supporting the renaming of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the US.
The Financial Times on Friday last week reported that Washington was considering a request from Taiwan to rename the TECRO to the “Taiwan Representative Office,” which would require US President Joe Biden to sign an executive order.
During an online event held by the Washington-based German Marshall Fund of the US on Tuesday, Chabot voiced his support for the move, adding that it is also infuriating to see Taiwan referred to as “Chinese Taipei” at international sports events.
Chabot, a Republican, is cochair of the US Congressional Taiwan Caucus.
While some have said renaming TECRO to include “Taiwan” in its name could anger China, Chabot said China gets annoyed at the smallest things, not merely issues that it thinks infringe on its sovereignty.
Chabot also called on Washington to change the title of the director of the American Institute in Taiwan to “representative.”
The nomination procedure should also be made identical to that for other ambassadors, needing the US Senate’s approval, he said.
Bera, a Democrat, said that the US could gain some bargaining chips from the discussion about renaming the TECRO.
However, it should be considered under a larger strategic framework, rather than treated as a standalone issue, he said.
Biden’s administration might also want to discuss the matter with like-minded partners to understand their stance, he added.
Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) yesterday thanked the representatives for voicing their support for Taiwan, adding that the ministry would continue to look to strengthen ties with the US.
In related news, US Representative Brian Fitzpatrick during a US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Monday said that he had recently returned from Ukraine and his next stop would be Taiwan.
Fitzpatrick is a member of the US Congressional Taiwan Caucus, and he has supported the US signing a bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan, as well as the nation’s bid to attend the World Health Assembly, Ou said on Tuesday.
The ministry always welcomes US lawmakers to visit Taiwan, and it would share more detail if there if further information, Ou said.
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