Check out this story: Oklahoma Strengthens Relations With Taiwan Province...The state of Oklahoma and Taiwan Province reaffirm their sister-state relationship which has stood for the past 30 years.I have to admit, this exchange has enriched my life with a bit of entertainment. "Taiwan Province Governor Jung-Tzer Lin" is actually the former mayor of Hsinchu, now currently a minister without portfolio. He is apparently head of the Provincial Council which runs the now-defunct government, streamlined out of existence back in the 1990s, all of which are appointees of the President (see Wiki for details -- don't they have that in Oklahoma?). Congrats to Oklahoma for re-affirming its relations with less than a dozen people! I think they should next sign sister-relations with Fujian Province, ROC.
During a ceremony in the Blue Room of the State Capitol Governor Henry and Taiwan Province Governor Jung-Tzer Lin reaffirmed their agreement which promotes trade and friendship.
Governor Henry says last year alone Oklahoma exports to Taiwan came to $16.3 million.
“But that agreement, again, is more than just about trade. That’s been beneficial to both of our peoples, but it has also enriched the lives of both of our peoples.”
I wonder if Lin gets a separate salary as head of the "provincial government."
The KMT program of confusing others about the actual status of Taiwan continues.
Meanwhile, where was the US State Department? Shouldn't it have taken the Oklahoma state government aside and told them that US policy is that the status of Taiwan is undetermined?
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7 comments:
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Don't worry, Michael. Canadian comedian Rick Mercer once convinced the former governor of Arkansas to lend support to preserving Canada's national igloo from global warming. This is nothing new.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhTZ_tgMUdo
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Hey, the ROC currently controls TWO "provinces" ;)
They even chose to meet in the "Blue" room!
The "Taiwan Province" thing is offensive (btw, Virginia changed its address labels so Taiwan is now "Taiwan (ROC)" - hooray!).
That said, we're "sister states" with Oklahoma? Of all the states in the union we had to get stuck with that one? Couldn't we have gotten a cool state like New York, Colorado, Vermont...even Texas with its unique Texan culture?
Whatever motivated the governing authorities on Taiwan in resurrecting the mothballed Taiwan Province, all the paper trail available on the Oklahoma gubernatorial page refers only to Taiwan Province, Taiwan.
You can check at: http://www.ok.gov/genthree/search.php?q=Taiwan
Most listed links refer to an art exhibition that took place at the State Capitol in August.
To further bring the point home, they repeatedly write, "...in addition to the 30-year Sister State relationship with Taiwan Province, the State of Oklahoma enjoys Sister State relationships with Kyoto Prefecture, Japan (25 years) and Gansu Province, China (25 years).
Then, the page below edited Taiwan Province out.
OKLAHOMA INTERNATIONAL INVENTORY (pdf)
... 10 Page 11. a. Sister State - The State of Oklahoma has three Sister State relationships: Kyoto Prefecture Japan; Gansu Province, China; and Taiwan. ...
http://www.okhighered.org/okglobaled/international-inventory-4-05.pdf
I did a seach for the former Republic of China on that same site. It only brought up links to two articles, "Criminal Justice Centralization vs Decentralization" and a report in the Senate Journal. Dated 1995 and 2006 respectively.
Oklahoma passed the TRA test with flying colors. I'm tickled as how will this be mirrored in the Taiwanese media.
I found it somewhat amusing that the article doesn't actually give any hint as to what COUNTRY "Taiwan Province" is in, not mentioning China, PRC, ROC, or even Taiwan Island.
Actually, while the continuance of this sister state program is bizarre, I thought it was interesting that only 30 years ago, when the "ROC = all of China" fiction was stronger than today but already much weaker than, say, 40 years ago, the ROC decided that of all 50 states in the USA, Oklahoma was the one to go for. Considering it's the only province the ROC really had at the time (OK, some small islands are bits of Fujian) you'd think they would have at least tried to partner with like, California or New York.
To Roy:
Might be that, at the time, thirsty year ago, they had reasons of their own to assume Okies the gulliblest amongst the gullible, not to paraphrase who you know.
Well, not this time around. But as Jerome de Vals suggested, I checked the Taiwanese press reports of the event. And yes, if one looks for a Yam a la Chuka (中華) dressing, there's a plateful coming this way. When will they learn?
But who knows? May be it all hinges on a good humored Taiwanese pun. Look at 奧克拉荷馬 a sec.. Now, blink. AND ...?!!
If the obvious comes to mind, please do share it with us and Ole Glue-lible wannabe Pack Horse.
Okies are no clods. Neither are the Formosans.
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