By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News — Saturday 11 September 2021
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Biden administration is reportedly considering allowing Taiwan officials to include “Taiwan” in the name of its de facto embassy in the US capital. The Financial Times cited multiple sources stating that the White House is “seriously considering” granting a request by Taiwan to change the name of its representative office in Washington, DC from the “Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office” (TECRO) to the “Taiwan Representative Office.” According to sources, White House Asia adviser Kurt Campbell supports the name change, which also reportedly has “wide support” within the National Security Council and among State Department Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs officials.
However, sources cautioned that a final decision has not yet been made and that Biden must sign the request in the form of an executive order. A major “sticking point” during internal White House discussions is whether the name change would be a “symbolic gesture” that would only serve to “exacerbate tensions between China and both The US and Taiwan for little real gain.” When asked about the matter, State Department Spokesperson Jalina Porter said she did not have an announcement to make but stressed that “our support for Taiwan is rock solid, and we remain committed to keeping our ties with Taiwan.” In July Taiwan announced it would open a representative office in Lithuania called the “Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania”; China responded by recalling its envoy from Vilnius and imposing sanctions on that country. If the US name change is approved, China is expected to respond strongly, as it has been orchestrating a campaign to stifle Taiwan’s status as a separate country.