Indiana State Treasurer Daniel Elliot on Tuesday said that China cannot dictate how state officials act, after Beijing criticized his attendance at a Double Ten National Day reception hosted by Taiwan’s representative office in Chicago.
Elliott posted on social media a letter sent by China’s Consulate-General in Chicago on Oct. 12, urging him to avoid future interactions with Taiwanese officials after he attended the National Day reception on Oct. 9.
“I reject any suggestion that a foreign government’s political demands should direct the lawful conduct of an Indiana officeholder,” Elliott said in the post.
Photo from facebook.com/anthony.ferraro.336 via CNA
“The Chinese Communist Party [CCP] does not dictate how Indiana officials do their jobs,” he said, adding that Indiana’s economic ties with Taiwan serve the state’s interests.
The Indiana government works for the people and answers to Indiana residents, and the people do not work for the government, he said.
“The CCP has that backward... It watches its own people,” he said, adding that now it is even watching Indiana’s elected officials.
Elliot questioned why a foreign government is paying such close attention to what he does.
“Indiana’s economic engagement with Taiwan serves Indiana’s interests, and it will continue regardless of the CCP’s preferred framing,” he said.
Indiana’s economic ties naturally attract attention, especially as the state restricts foreign purchases of farmland, including some involving entities linked to the Chinese government, he said, adding that his office would continue to protect the state’s farmland.
His office has attracted about US$1.8 billion in investment over the past three years, Elliot said, calling the results unprecedented.
“The timing and tone of the letter suggest increased attention to our success,” he said, adding that his responsibility is to serve Indiana’s people and he would “continue lawful economic engagement with Taiwan.”
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