US Ambassador to the Netherlands Pete Hoekstra on Monday shared photographs of his meeting with his Taiwanese counterpart, Chen Hsing-hsing (陳欣新), at the US embassy in The Hague, after Washington lifted restrictions on official contacts with Taipei.
Two days earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that he was lifting the “self-imposed restrictions” on US-Taiwan relations.
“Made some history today: Welcomed Taiwan Representative Chen to our Embassy,” Hoekstra wrote on Twitter on Monday. “Glad that our @StateDept colleagues around the world will now be able to host our friends from this vibrant democracy on our Embassy grounds.”
Photo: Screen grab from the Taipei Representative Office in the Netherlands’ Facebook page
Chen replied on Twitter that she was pleased and honored to visit the US embassy in The Hague for “the very first time in my diplomatic career.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed Hoekstra’s improved relations with Chen, but cannot reveal the details of meetings with other governments, Department of European Affairs Deputy Director-General Kendra Chen (陳詠韶) told a news briefing in Taipei yesterday.
The US Department of State on Monday also announced that a closed-door meeting between US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Clarke Cooper and Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) had been held that day at 11:30am.
Hsiao should resume the daily flag-raising at the Twin Oaks Estate in Washington, which ended in 1979, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Charles Chen (陳以信) said yesterday.
Then-US president Barack Obama’s administration expressed its dissatisfaction after then-representative to the US Shen Lyu-shun (沈呂巡) held a flag-raising ceremony at the estate on Jan. 1, 2015.
Hsiao should also move the Republic of China flag hanging inside the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York City outside to mark the breakthrough in ties, especially as the office and the UN headquarters are both on 42nd Street, Chen said.
The government has been taking steady and practical steps to deepen bilateral partnerships in different areas, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said.
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