The name of Taiwan’s organisation handling its relations with Tokyo in the absence of diplomatic ties is to be changed, the island’s Foreign Minister David Lee said.
Lee told a legislative committee that the Association of East Asian Relations, which is tied to the ministry, would change its name to what is loosely translated as the Association of Taiwan-Japan Relations. The ministry has yet to give the organisation an official English name.
The step, which will likely irk Beijing, comes after a name change for the Interchange Association, Japan’s de facto diplomatic office in Taiwan.
The Interchange Association announced in December it would change its name to the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, starting from January to make it more relevant to its mission. Taiwan’s foreign ministry welcomed the move, saying the new name reflected the organisation’s role in Taiwan and the positive development of the two sides’ ties.
However, Beijing expressed dissatisfaction, urging Japan to uphold the one-China principle, refrain from sending a wrong message to Taiwan and the international community and from creating new disturbances in China-Japan ties. Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway Chinese province and tries to discourage foreign governments from establishing ties with its government.