US diplomatic staff are required to abide by strict guidelines when making contact with Taiwanese authorities and representative offices “on all occasions through the year” and “especially in the weeks prior to the Oct. 10” anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China (ROC), a cable released by WikiLeaks on Tuesday said.
The cable, dated Sept. 5, 2008, showed that then-US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice issued a directive to overseas diplomatic missions detailing the guidelines, which the cable said did not apply to the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).
The cable was meant to ensure that the unofficial relations between the US and Taiwan, which began in 1979 when the US recognized the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, were upheld.
Representatives from Taiwan “should be treated with appropriate courtesy and respect within the framework of the US’ unofficial relations with the Island,” the cable said.
US government officials should conduct the same substantive range of business with their Taiwanese counterparts as they would with representatives from countries with which the US has diplomatic relations, it said.
The US Department of State allowed its embassy personnel to accept invitations to private functions hosted by Taiwanese representatives either in restaurants or in their homes, “but not in residences of Taiwan’s principal representatives or ambassadors,” it said.
US embassy and consulate personnel could host Taiwanese representatives at private functions in restaurants or in their homes, but not in US chief of mission residences, while Taiwanese representatives could not be invited to US functions of an official nature or to functions held on official US premises, it said.
The cable said that “any function on or around Oct. 10” should be considered an official function regardless of its venue or stated nature.
US executive branch officials are permitted to attend a separate reception sponsored by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US (TECRO) specifically for US government officials that normally takes place in mid-October, because it is distinct from the normal Double Ten National Day function, it said.
US government representatives are not allowed to correspond directly with authorities from Taiwan, but rather should send letters through AIT-TECRO channels, it said.
The cable said that individuals from Taiwan contracted by US executive branch officials are generally referred to by name, title and city, without use of an international nomenclature.
All US executive branch personnel who plan to travel to Taiwan for work-related reasons must have prior consent from the state department’s Office of Taiwan before requesting travel clearance from the AIT and Taipei, it said.
The state department said that the US government does not refer to Taiwan as “Republic of China,” “The Republic of China on Taiwan,” or a country. The US government refers to Taiwan simply as “Taiwan.”
In keeping with the unofficial nature of the US’ relations with Taiwan and the fact that the US does not recognize Taiwan as an independent, sovereign state, “military representatives of the authorities on Taiwan should not wear their uniforms while in the US or on US premises overseas” and the “ROC” flag should not be displayed at US government premises, it said.
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) yesterday appealed to the authorities to release former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) from pretrial detention amid conflicting reports about his health. The TPP at a news conference on Thursday said that Ko should be released to a hospital for treatment, adding that he has blood in his urine and had spells of pain and nausea followed by vomiting over the past three months. Hsieh Yen-yau (謝炎堯), a retired professor of internal medicine and Ko’s former teacher, said that Ko’s symptoms aligned with gallstones, kidney inflammation and potentially dangerous heart conditions. Ko, charged with
Taiwan-based publisher Li Yanhe (李延賀) has been sentenced to three years in prison, fined 50,000 yuan (US$6,890) in personal assets and deprived political rights for one year for “inciting secession” in China, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said today. The Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court announced the verdict on Feb. 17, Chen said. The trial was conducted lawfully, and in an open and fair manner, he said, adding that the verdict has since come into legal effect. The defendant reportedly admitted guilt and would appeal within the statutory appeal period, he said, adding that the defendant and his family have