peijin

Sat, 01 Jul 2006 17:50:49 +0800

I think that the mayor is running for re-election and since a good chunk of the constituency is Taiwanese...that might hve smoething to do with her actions. I don't know, but in that chinese source that i linked to in the post, it makes a point similar to yours--that this is part of the sisters cities policy etc etc.

b

Sat, 01 Jul 2006 14:02:54 +0800

What exactly is the issue here. The "One-China" policy is uphelded by the American government. "Note 3: With the establishment of diplomatic relations with China on January 1, 1979, the US Government recognized the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China and acknowledged the Chinese position that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of China." http://www.state.gov/s/inr/rls/4250.htm So in fact, if Irvine doesn't agree to the one-China principle, it is infact, running contrary to the U.S federal government. Further more, the Sister City International organisation that runs the sister city programs has specific rules against the display of the Republic of China National Flag, and the play of the ROC national anthem. The article in the OC weekly is extremely biased, just like the previous article shown here on the iPod city (which called it a Nazi Gulag). Through out this entire episode, the Chinese side is merely sticking to both the rules of the U.S government, and the rules of Sister City International. This is the most bizzare and ridiculous section fot he OC weekly report; "The contract, which requires nothing from the Chinese, demands that Irvine officials follow Beijing’s lead, and treat the Republic of China, also known as Taiwan, as a breakaway province of the People’s Republic of China." The "contract" is merely a stipulation that Irvine follow the official rules governing relations between the two cities, as per both Sister City International rules and the U.S government. In fact, the website on the Sister City International clearly states that Taiwan is part of "One China". See Note 1. http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/Asia/China/index#taiwan Xuhui should annul the agreement with Irvine immediately, I don't see why China should continue to play ball with just anyone.

Shanghaiist: Shanghai, Taiwan and Irvine, California in diplomatic row

peijin

b