INFLUENCING PEOPLE

The anti-Communist Chinese list grows.

In response to the Netherlands' decision to change the name of its de facto embassy in Taiwan, China is threatening a halt in medical supplies and a boycott of Dutch products by Chinese consumers.

On Tuesday (April 28), The Netherlands Trade and Investment Office changed its name to “Netherlands Office Taipei," with Dutch representative in Taipei Guy Wittich referring to the new moniker as "little bit less, but a lot more." In a video clip that was released on Monday evening but later taken down, Wittich elaborated that the name had been changed and simplified because of an expansion of activities in many new areas between the two countries.

Wittich said that the terms "trade and investment" had been taken out, as the scope of cooperation between the two countries had increased. Over the past eight years, the Australian, British, Japanese, and Polish representative offices have similarly simplified the names of their de facto embassies in Taiwan.

In response, the Chinese embassy in the European country on Tuesday lodged "solemn representations" and demanded a "clarification" of the name change from the Dutch government. The embassy claimed that the name change "concerns China's core interests" and reminded the Netherlands to dutifully adhere to its "one China principle."