Sinophobia pt. II

Finnish officials conspicuously absent from Taiwan National Day event

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It was a full house in Helsinki's Finlandia Hall on Friday evening. The murmur of small talk and clinking of glasses could be heard all around, but something was missing. Not a single government minister was to be seen - just a smattering of politicians and high officials.
      Was the Dalai Lama back in Finland? No, but this was a manifestation of the same thing that had been in evidence a week earlier: fear of China.
     
Taiwan was celebrating its National Day. The same thing happens every year: a big party but no ministers.
      The island of Taiwan off the coast of China is a relatively significant trading partner for Finland. Its 22 million residents maintain one of Asia's best-functioning democracies.
      In the view of the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan) is not a state, but a renegade province, and that is all. The growth of China's economy and significance has made it even clearer than before that the democratic Taiwan is not a real state in the view of others either.
      The people of Taiwan can engage in trade, but the only acceptable reasons for attending a celebration of Taiwan's National Day are either commercial or cultural.
     
The Taipei Representative Office in Helsinki is a commercial office, and its chief, Perry Pei-hwang Shen is a mere representative, although he holds the rank of Ambassador in the Taiwanese administration.
      Some Members of parliament can also be found at the reception: Jaakko Laakso of the Left Alliance, as well as Ben Zyskowicz and Ilkka Kanerva of the National Coalition Party. It is all right for individual MPs to participate, but if an official of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs had appeared, he or she would probably have been from the section on trade policy.
      Word had gone out to the military as well, and no uniforms could be seen. One army was present, though - the Salvation Army, whose regional leader, Colonel André Cox speculates that he may have got the invitation because he attends the same Rotary meetings as Shen.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Dalai Lama says his successor "could even be a Finnish woman" (2.10.2006)

Links:
  Taipei Representative Office in Finland

Helsingin Sanomat