The government is to abolish the Cabinet-level Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission, many of the functions of which will be taken over by a new Taiwan-Tibet Exchange Foundation (台灣西藏交流基金會) which is to be formally established today.
The government's move makes a break with the past claims of the ROC to sovereignty over Tibet and Mongolia, a claim it backed up by retaining a Cabinet Agency to handle their affairs.
"President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and the representative of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Tashi Wangdi, will attend the founding ceremony [on Monday] afternoon of the Taiwan-Tibet Exchange Foundation," said the source, "and we believe that it will serve as an non-official communication channel, but supported by the government, between Taiwan and the Tibetan government-in-exile."
A source from the DPP's legislative caucus also told Taipei Times that a visit to the home of the Tibetan government in exile in Dharmsala, India, was being arranged for a cross-party delegation of lawmakers.
The delegation may be accompanied by Weng Shih-chieh (
The foundation will consist of government think-tank members, DPP members and private entrepreneurs familiar with Tibetan affairs.
Day Sheng-tong (
The source said that preparations for the foundation have been under way for more than a year, and funding for the foundation will come from both government and private sources.
The source stressed that since Taiwan has new channels of communications with both Mongolia and Tibet, the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission will gradually be wound down.
The commission is a legacy from the KMT government, which claimed sovereignty over China, Tibet and Mongolia.
"Taiwan and Mongolia have already set up mutual representative offices. After the foundations' inception, the commission will see its functions dwindle even further," the source said.
The commission's view of Tibet as part of China has generated a great deal of unhappiness in its dealings with the Tibetan government-in-exile, according to the source. It also created obstacles in the run-up to the Dalai Lama's two visits to Taiwan, in 1997 and 2001.
"After its inception, the foundation will take over bilateral exchanges such as religious, cultural and tourism matters," the source said. "It will also mediate disputes and handle visits by people from each side."
Since it used to regard Tibet as part of China, Taiwan used to handle visits by officials of the Tibetan government-in-exile in the same way as visits by PRC officials. This has caused tension between the two governments.
The problem was resolved after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took over issuing visas to visiting Tibetan officials.
Taiwan, however, still lacks an official entity dedicated to handling what have become extensive bilateral religious exchanges, and the new foundation is designed to fill that role. Tibetan Buddhism has attracted a significant following, in Taiwan over the past decade.
The foundation officials are optimistic about raising funds from private entrepreneurs, given the popularity of Tibetan Buddhism. The foundation's work will focus primarily on religious and cultural exchanges and humanitarian aid. It will not be involved in politics and will not become embroiled in the unification-independence issue, according to the source. The foundation's operations will include medical aid, agricultural techniques for Tibetan exiles in India, language training, academic exchanges, volunteer work and publishing.
Also see story:
INSURRECTION: The NSB said it found evidence the CCP was seeking snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military and foreign organizations in the event of an invasion The number of Chinese spies prosecuted in Taiwan has grown threefold over a four-year period, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report released yesterday. In 2021 and 2022, 16 and 10 spies were prosecuted respectively, but that number grew to 64 last year, it said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was working with gangs in Taiwan to develop a network of armed spies. Spies in Taiwan have on behalf of the CCP used a variety of channels and methods to infiltrate all sectors of the country, and recruited Taiwanese to cooperate in developing organizations and obtaining sensitive information
Seven hundred and sixty-four foreigners were arrested last year for acting as money mules for criminals, with many entering Taiwan on a tourist visa for all-expenses-paid trips, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said on Saturday. Although from Jan. 1 to Dec. 26 last year, 26,478 people were arrested for working as money mules, the bureau said it was particularly concerned about those entering the country as tourists or migrant workers who help criminals and scammers pick up or transfer illegally obtained money. In a report, officials divided the money mules into two groups, the first of which are foreigners, mainly from Malaysia
SILICON VALLEY HUB: The office would showcase Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and help Taiwanese start-ups connect with global opportunities Taiwan has established an office in Palo Alto, one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley in California, aimed at helping Taiwanese technology start-ups gain global visibility, the National Development Council said yesterday. The “Startup Island Taiwan Silicon Valley hub” at No. 299 California Avenue is focused on “supporting start-ups and innovators by providing professional consulting, co-working spaces, and community platforms,” the council said in a post on its Web site. The office is the second overseas start-up hub established by the council, after a similar site was set up in Tokyo in September last year. Representatives from Taiwanese start-ups, local businesses and
‘DETERRENT’: US national security adviser-designate Mike Waltz said that he wants to speed up deliveries of weapons purchased by Taiwan to deter threats from China US president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, affirmed his commitment to peace in the Taiwan Strait during his confirmation hearing in Washington on Tuesday. Hegseth called China “the most comprehensive and serious challenge to US national security” and said that he would aim to limit Beijing’s expansion in the Indo-Pacific region, Voice of America reported. He would also adhere to long-standing policies to prevent miscalculations, Hegseth added. The US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing was the first for a nominee of Trump’s incoming Cabinet, and questions mostly focused on whether he was fit for the
RSS