Why a clock was absolutely the wrong gift for Texas governor to give Taiwan’s President Tsai
Greg Abbott apparently didn’t understand the cultural significance of giving a clock to visiting Taiwanese president
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen received a clock from her host during her overnight stay in Houston – a gift she might not want.
In concluding their meeting by exchanging gifts on Sunday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott handed Tsai a clock bearing the Texas state seal in return for a vase given to him by the island's president, according to Abbott’s office.
Giving a clock as a gift is an absolute no-no in places where the Chinese language is spoken, especially in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the mainland. That’s because in both Mandarin and Cantonese, the phrase for “giving a clock” sounds the same as the phrase used for bidding farewell to the deceased.
Clocks also symbolise that time is running out so when a timepiece is given as a gift, the suggestion to the recipient is the end of a relationship and life is soon.
Two years ago, a similar gift caused embarrassment when visiting British transport minister Susan Kramer gave a pocket timepiece to her host, Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je.