Locke Inauguration Causes Seating Flap China, Taiwan Fighting Over Who Will Sit In Most Prestigious Spot

Today’s inauguration of the nation’s first Chinese-American governor has caused an international dispute as China and Taiwan fight over who gets to sit in the most prestigious spot.

The seating plan at the inauguration, normally not a matter of much interest, caused China to file a formal protest with the U.S. State Department and the state Senate majority leader to file his own protest with the incoming administration of Gov.-elect Gary Locke.

In the end, state officials have decided to bar Taiwanese representatives from sitting with other foreign dignitaries on the House floor, even though in the past the Taiwanese have been allowed to sit there.

As a consolation, the four Taiwanese dignitaries, including a legislator from Taipei, will be offered seats in the House gallery with Locke’s extended family.

Today’s festivities have taken on great symbolic importance for Taiwan and China, which are two of Washington’s biggest trading partners and each of which want to take part in the celebration of Locke’s inauguration. Locke’s parents immigrated from China to the United States, and his election has been big news in Asia.

“This is a tiff between the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan, and we got caught up in the middle because we have a Chinese-American governor coming in,” said Brent Heinemann, who is director of international relations and protocol for outgoing Gov. Mike Lowry and who will have the same post with the Locke administration.

In 1995, Washington exported $1.8 billion worth of products to Taiwan and $1.1 billion worth to China. Billions of dollars more in goods from other parts of the United States are shipped to Asia through Washington ports.

Although the state’s past practice has been to allow Taiwanese officials to join diplomats in sitting on the House floor during joint sessions of the Legislature, China has now protested that policy to the U.S. State Department.

“They wanted to make sure we properly seated only consuls and consuls-general, and gave no undue recognition to Taiwan,” said Heinemann, the protocol director. “Because Taiwan does not have diplomatic recognition by the United States, they do not have a consul general in the U.S. It wouldn’t be appropriate to mix diplomatic people with non-diplomatic people.”

Heinemann, on behalf of Lowry and Locke, decided to seat only the Chinese diplomat on the House floor with the diplomats from Britain, Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia and Spain.

The decision, needless to say, has upset the Taiwanese and has caused Senate Majority Leader Dan McDonald, a longtime friend of Taiwan, to file his own protest on behalf of Katharine Chang, director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative’s office.

“They have an office (in Seattle), which is their equivalent of a consulate, they’re a valuable part of the community, and they’re part of the (diplomatic) delegation,” McDonald, R-Yarrow Point, said.