Taiwan’s representative to the United States, Hsiao Mei-chin, recently introduced herself as Taiwan Ambassador to The US on her personal Twitter account, sparking attention and discussion in Taiwan’s political circles.
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen said in a public event on September 20 that she would work for Taiwan regardless of Xiao’s title, and would work with the Taiwan Ambassador to the US to maintain the best possible communication with all parties in the United States.
On Monday, Hsiao clarified in her personal Facebook page that her official title for her interactions with U.S. government agencies remains “Representative of the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Representative Office.
Hsiao also said that the use of Ambassador on her profile on her private Twitter account is not a title currently recognized by U.S. authorities, but neither is it a self-appointed title for her. Her actual work on behalf of Taiwan in the United States is no different from that of other embassies, even though the workload and frequency of interaction with the U.S. side is more complex than that of ambassadors of other countries because of the difficult situation in Taiwan.
Hsiao emphasized that “ambassador” is not only a description of her current job, but has in fact become the way many of her friends from all walks of life on the U.S. side address her.
In an interview with the Voice of America, Chen Yu-zhen, a member of Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), said that although Xiao introduced herself as “Taiwan’s ambassador to the United States” on her personal Twitter account, the move still has some significance due to her special status.
She said, “Since Ambassador Hsiao is in the U.S. now, and since the relationship between Taiwan and the U.S. is the best in history, it’s important to promote the resumption of diplomatic relations between the Republic of China and the U.S. as soon as possible.”
Taiwan is in a very important geographical location, especially in the current U.S.-China confrontation, and the U.S. needs Taiwan to hold the first island chain in East Asia.
U.S. Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany recently proposed that the United States should restore normal diplomatic relations with Taiwan and support Taiwan’s membership in international organizations. He also tweeted that the U.S. should end its outdated “one-China policy.
U.S. State Department Undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment John Klatsch led a delegation to Taiwan last week, the highest-ranking State Department official to Taiwan since U.S.-Taiwan diplomatic relations were severed in 1979.
Kelly Craft, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, told The Associated Press after a recent dinner with Taiwan’s representative to the Economic and Cultural Office in New York, Lee Kuan-Chang, that the United States could better help Taiwan increase its participation in the United Nations.
Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Standing Committee member Chuang Rui-hsiung said that the current international situation to see the establishment of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and the United States, seems to jump too fast, unlikely.
He said, “Taiwan wants to have a place in the international arena so that it can be seen by the international community, otherwise it’s not a good idea to be oppressed by China all the time like this.”
Mr. Chong also noted that it is certain that the U.S.-Taiwan relationship will become closer on all levels, including military and economic. He also argued that China’s use of military exercises against Taiwan to express its discontent will only undermine regional peace and stability.
China claims that Taiwan is part of its territory, and warns that the Taiwan issue is an internal Chinese affair that cannot be interfered with by foreign powers.
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