Mon, Aug 12, 2024 page3

• Removing office in Macau last option, source says

  • By Chen Yu-fu and Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with staff writer
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  If a newly appointed official to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Macau could not obtain a visa without signing a “one China” affidavit, the Mainland Affairs Council would consider removing the office from Macau as the worst-case scenario, a source said yesterday.

  The official was to fill the vacancy left by an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who had been stationed in TECO Macau for more than a decade before returning to Taiwan on July 23.

  However, the Macanese government requested the newly appointed official to sign an affidavit recognizing Beijing’s “one China” principle as a precondition for a visa, which the office adamantly refused.

  

  The logo of the Mainland Affairs Council is pictured at its headquarters in Taipei in an undated photograph.

  Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times

  TECO Macau is supposed to have eight Taiwanese officials, but it is left with only two of them and 14 local employees.

  That means TECO Macau would not operate in a sustainable way, as new appointments would be forced to sign the pledge, an official who is familiar with cross-strait affairs said on condition of anonymity.

  One possible way out is to follow the example of TECO Hong Kong, which is operated solely by local employees, while removing the office is the worst-case scenario, they said.

  

  The Taiwan-owned Sun Yat-sen Memorial House in Macau is pictured in an undated photograph.

  Photo: screengrab from Facebook

  A removal of the office would be no good for people in Taiwan and Macau, and the Macanese government, who pushes Taiwanese officials to endorse Beijing’s “one China” principle, should bear the greatest responsibility, they said.

  While most Macanese people are not satisfied with their government and would not like Taiwan to remove its office, the Macanese government has been under Beijing’s control and could not prioritize its people, they said.

  Macanese Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng (賀一誠) seeks to cater to Beijing and has severely undermined the Taiwan-Macau relationship, they said.

  Removal of TECO Macau would sever the diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Macau, and not be in Macau’s interest, they said.

  Taiwan’s economy would not be much affected, as its exports to Macau last year amounted to only US$100 million, much less than its exports to Hong Kong (US$58 billion), the official said.

  Macau, whose gambling and tourism industry comprise most of its trade income, would suffer a heavier loss from the removal of the office, they said.

  Fewer Taiwanese would travel to Macau for gambling and other entertainment, as they would not be able to seek help from the office if they get in trouble, they added.

  Meanwhile, the Taiwan-owned Sun Yat-sen Memorial House in Macau would not be torn down, as it is a heritage site and could be operated by local employees once TECO Macau is removed, they said.
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