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Taiwan, U.S. sign revised diplomatic immunity pact

ROC Central News Agency

2013/02/05 14:00:00

Washington, Feb. 4 (CNA) Taiwan and the United States have signed a revised agreement on privileges, exemptions and immunities to provide more legal protection to diplomats stationed in each other's country.

King Pu-tsung, Taiwan's representative to the United States, and Barbara Schrage, managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan, which represents the United States' interests in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties, signed Chinese and English versions of the accord in Washington, D.C. on Monday.

The revised agreement took effect immediately.

The two countries first signed an agreement on privileges, exemptions and immunities in 1980, but King said the two sides recognized the need to update and clarify certain points in the text and add legal protections.

Under the revised agreement, officials stationed at Taiwan's representative office in Washington, D.C. and their families will be given diplomatic immunity from criminal jurisdiction.

That means they cannot be arrested or detained and will be exempt from testifying in court.

At the country's 12 other offices in the U.S., only the directors and deputy directors of those offices will not be subject to arrest or detention, except in the case of crimes carrying a jail sentence of a year or more.

Directors and deputy directors also will receive limited immunity from being subpoenaed as witnesses.

King said the new agreement reflected Taiwan's improved relations with the U.S. since President Ma Ying-jeou took office in 2008.

The Ma administration has pursued a pragmatic approach that has restored mutual trust at the highest levels and enhanced bilateral exchanges and cooperation, and the revised accord was the latest example of the growing ties, King said.

Taiwan and the U.S. agreed to review the agreement in the wake of the detention of a Taiwanese diplomat on labor fraud charges in November 2011.

Jacqueline Liu, former director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Kansas City, was detained for overworking and underpaying two Filipino housekeepers.

The case sparked a dispute between Taiwan and the U.S. over the application of diplomatic immunity.

Taiwan argued that Liu should be granted immunity from prosecution, while the U.S. maintained that Liu's status was similar to that of a consular officer, which meant that she had immunity only for acts performed within the scope of her authorized functions.

(By Lin Shu-yuan and Lilian Wu)
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