May 31, 1999 - News - Council calls Taipei trip a ‘sister city’ visit

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Council calls Taipei trip a ‘sister city’ visit
But council, mayor can’t find any official documentation to support claim

(Published May 31, 1999)

By REBECCA CHARRY

Staff Writer

Led by council Chairman Linda Cropp, most of D.C.’s city council took off May 21 for a one-week all-expense-paid trip to Taipei, Taiwan, "sister city to Washington, D.C." according to Cropp’s written announcement.

Only it turns out neither the city council nor the mayor’s office could find any proclamation, resolution or other document establishing any such relationship with the capital of Taiwan.

The mayor’s office has no record of Taipei being declared a sister city to Washington, said Vera Jackson, spokesman for the office of Mayor Anthony A. Williams. There are documents, however, showing that Bangkok, Thailand, Dakar, Senegal, and Beijing, China, had been declared "sister cities."

Mary Vann, director of legislative services for city council, said she too could not recall any official action concerning the District’s relationship to Taipei. A search revealed no written documents, she said.

Former D.C mayor Marion Barry said there was "nothing official" done regarding Taipei during his 16 years in office.

A few council members, including Cropp and Ward 8 Councilwoman Sandra Allen, planned to tack on personal vacations to Hong Kong, China, at the end of their stay in Taiwan, said Cropp’s spokesman Bill Rumsey. They will pay for all their own expenses, he said.

While Taiwan considers itself independent from mainland China, China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and an enemy.

The Taipei trip, which is being paid for by the government of Taiwan, was touted by Rumsey as an "economic development and government operations exchange." Nine council members were scheduled to meet with government and business leaders in Taipei to discuss transportation, labor, the environment, tourism and other topics.

Eric Chen, a spokesman for the Taiwanese embassy, said the government of Taiwan routinely offers free trips to U.S. congressmen and elected leaders of U.S. cities to stimulate trade and cooperation.

Democrat Cropp invited all members of council to join the trip except for Phil Mendelson, D-At large, Kathleen Patterson, D-Ward 3, and Sharon Ambrose, D-Ward 6.

Councilwoman Charlene Drew Jarvis, D-Ward 4, turned down the invitation because she had a previous commitment as chairman of the council’s economic development committee to accompany the mayor on a trip to Las Vegas to promote retail investment in the District.