Taiwanese president calls Clinton 'Mrs.,' not 'Secretary'

Tue, 06/02/2009 - 2:00pm

Hillary Clinton Ma Ying-jeou, June 1, 2009Yesterday at a state banquet hosted by outgoing Salvadoran President Elías Antonio Saca, Secretary Clinton and Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou had a rare informal chat when they shared a table and Clinton made the first move in greeting him and shaking hands.

The United States and Taiwan have not had formal relations since the United States severed diplomatic ties in 1979 in order to normalize relations with the People's Republic of China. Perhaps in keeping with the absence of formal ties, the Taiwanese president addressed Secretary Clinton as "Mrs. Clinton" while introducing himself as "the president of Taiwan."

Later, Ma told Taiwanese media that the informal chat was typical of "courtesy encounters" that occur at diplomatic functions.

Photo: Thumbnail from Central News Agency-Taiwan

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In keeping with the absence of formal ties?

by Carolyn-Rodham on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 10:36am

If you mean this was a subtle way of dissing the Secretary because we caved to China and severed ties with Taiwan, I suppose you may be right. But I'm inclined to be see this as the sort of sexist, accidentally-on-purpose "slip of the tongue" with which women in positions of leadership and power have always been greeted. She's not Madam Secretary, she's Bill Clinton's wife. It's the equivalent, played out on the stage of international diplomacy, of calling your co-worker -- or a female reporter, as the case may be -- "sweetie."

Don't the Taiwanese have their own Letitia Baldridge? Sheesh.

A Psychological Analysis:

by agoran on Thu, 06/04/2009 - 8:50pm

Ma did similar thing in 2006 Taipeh mayor election.
When he failed to convince a political opponent
(James Soong) from running, he 'accidentally' revealed to the press the secret clauses for withdrawl from candidacy in his negotiation with Mr. Soong. Ma's innocent apologies did nothing to salvage the damage to Mr. Soong's reputation.

Psychologically speaking, he shares many childish behaviors described in serial.htm found at

bullyonline.org

Ma Is An Idiot

by Thomas Guo on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 5:55pm

In many cases, Ma behaved not even up to a child. To me, he is completely an idiot. Not only didn't he know what he was talking about, he even forgot what he did or said yesterday,thus contradicting with his rules in most of his dull speeches today.He has become a sleeve to Hu in China, who remote-controls Ma's behaviors. He has numerous double-standards and always says one thing now but does another later, both of which are totally indifferent to each other, and this is why I call him an idiot-- a real McCoy idiot in view that Ma is now completely a dupe of Hu

I don't believe that Ma had

by Euclid on Fri, 06/05/2009 - 5:46am

I don't believe that Ma had the intention to diss Clinton due to the relationship between U.S. and China. Because Ma is known as being "China-Friendly" which is currently a big issue in Taiwan.

Lock of etiquette is the case here.

Coo, coo, ca-choo, Mrs. Clinton

by Novia on Sat, 06/06/2009 - 4:18pm

President Ma won't tell anyone about the Clintons' affair.

Sexist and ignorance should

by yjhsu on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 1:23pm

Sexist and ignorance should be the case here.

Ma never had much respect for women.

stupid question

by wellyhuang on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 4:33pm

Stupid question your translation
20 years ago and my wife said that he was fools, then we all said he really fools, a three-year-old child Question doubt does not occur in a nearly 60-year-old were similar to those of the doubt, if the person past 60 year-old asked three-year-old children similar questions, this person must be the son of Liu Bei, Maya monuments is the pasted up? He thought it was the work of kindergarten paste adhesion paste up paper-cut, And that are not had have common sence. shame for such an idiot. He is still capable of leading a country? Abroad Central American friends who came from Taiwan to see so many cattle in my farm and ask me your cow is a seat the aircraft to here, I told him to swim to here. ZHOU Mei-Ching quite intelligent, she knows best what the President he is stupid, asked that the issue of three-year-old children! The nerve and no one answered the question a child asked an adult. plastic three seconds. Ms ZHOu Mei-ching to block the follow-up Embarrassing problem question. we have seen young people with his show, He did not know their utterly shameless, a lot of people are very evil actions of his nausea, like an idiot. I do not know that he is a retarded idiot with different! I do not know that he is an idiot of white defects! ZHOU Mei-Ching elegant not to divert the people blocking the ugly impression. These media foolsflattering want to become an idiot not knowing their own! Idiot fools like any other flattering, so experienced and he is an idiot who claim to be gifted with the true state of mind of an idiot completely the same! Of course idiots around the country will phase are a group of Idiot flatterrig country, of course, are a group of neighboring more people to make him an idiot! We can take the time to observe,Mr Ma is another absolute fools.

CHINESE TAIPEI ,NOT TAIWANESE PRESIDENT

by PACIFIC ISLANDER on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 10:58pm

DON'T BE FOOLED AMERICAN .MA CLAIM HE IS TAIWANESE PRESIDENT BUT ACTUALLY HE IS PRESIDENT OF CHINESE TAIPEI--CHINESE GOVERNMENT EXILE IN TAIPEI LIKE FRENCH GOVERMENT EXILE IN LONDON DURING WWII .TAIWAN (FOMOSA)WHICH WAS TERRITOY OF JAPAN BEFORE WII, WAS LIMBO SEVERED BY SAN FRANCISCO TREATY FROM HER MOTHER LAND.READ S.F .TREATY BETWEEN THE LINE. YOU SHOULD FIND OUT WHO OWN THE ISLAND LEGALLY.YOU AMERICAN DON'T READ AND EASILY FOOL BY LIAR.

I am the president of Taiwan

by titans on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 2:24am

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/2270/95956.jpg