Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Leave Foreign policy to the Feds
The Irvine City Council is being forced to waste a lot of time dealing with a letter a city official signed with the Xuhui District of Shanghai, which was our new sister city in China. Apparently, the first letter affirmed America's "One-China" policy and promised to break our sister city realationship with a city in Taiwan. Now they are having to spend a lot of time rescinding the new relationship and dealing with angry constituents.
America's relationship with China, and in particular, our "One-China policy", is complicated, as it involves strategic ambiguity. But our city officials should not be dealing with that; they should leave that to the Federal Government. But why are they dealing with it at all? What is the value in these sister-city relationships? I guess they are fun and interesting for schoolchildren. But, did Irvine taxpayers foot the bill for their trip to China? If so, then I doubt this is worth it. Sister city relationships could be set up via mail (or today, via email) by non-governmental organizations (e.g. Chambers of Commerce) so that taxpayer money is not spent, and the time of government officials is not wasted.
America's relationship with China, and in particular, our "One-China policy", is complicated, as it involves strategic ambiguity. But our city officials should not be dealing with that; they should leave that to the Federal Government. But why are they dealing with it at all? What is the value in these sister-city relationships? I guess they are fun and interesting for schoolchildren. But, did Irvine taxpayers foot the bill for their trip to China? If so, then I doubt this is worth it. Sister city relationships could be set up via mail (or today, via email) by non-governmental organizations (e.g. Chambers of Commerce) so that taxpayer money is not spent, and the time of government officials is not wasted.
