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Indiana Treasury Secretary Elliott was protested by the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago for attending Taiwan’s Double Ten celebrations, but he responded forcefully that Beijing had no right to interfere with state officials and said he would continue to promote economic and trade cooperation with Taiwan.
Indiana Treasurer Daniel Elliot was honored to attendchicago The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office organized the National Day celebrations of the Republic of China, but the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago sent a letter of protest, requesting to avoid official contact with Taiwanese officials in the future. Elliott then fought back hard, saying he was only responsible to Indiana voters and that the Chinese Communist Party had no right to interfere with the performance of state officials’ duties, and said he would continue to promote economic cooperation with Taiwan.
It is understood that other US state-level officials who attended the event that day also received protest letters from the Chinese Consulate, but the specific numbers and identities have not yet been confirmed.
According to a four-page English letter sent by the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago on October 12, the Consulate expressed serious concerns about Elliott’s official attendance at the “Taiwan 115th National Day” event organized by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), saying it violated the “One China principle” espoused by China and three China-US joint communiqués.
The letter reiterated Beijing’s position, stating that Taiwan is part of China and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing all of China. It also advocated that US government officials at all levels should follow the federal government’s foreign policy toward China.
The consulate also claimed that US President Trump had assured Chinese President Xi Jinping that the United States adheres to the one-China policy and does not recognize, support or accept “Taiwan independence”. The letter criticized Elliott for attending the Double Ten event and meeting with Taiwan representatives, which amounts to mistakenly treating Taiwan as a country and harming China’s sovereignty and Sino-US relations.
The letter also criticizes the administration of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te for promoting Taiwan independence, and accuses Taiwan’s foreign agencies of using economic and trade exchanges to approach US officials to expand the so-called “international space” for Taiwan independence.
The Consulate noted that the Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests and is the “first insurmountable red line” in China-US relations, and asked Elliott to take measures to eliminate negative impact and avoid official exchanges with Taiwan officials in the future.
However, countering, the Consulate also said Wang Baodong, the Chinese Consul General in Chicago, was willing to meet with Elliott and his team to discuss strengthening economic and trade cooperation between China and Indiana.
In response, Elliott responded publicly via the Treasury Secretary’s official Facebook: “Beijing can send as many letters as it wants. I am only responsible to the people of Indiana. The Chinese Communist Party has no right to dictate how Indiana officials perform their duties.”
He said legitimate economic cooperation between Indiana and Taiwan is in the state’s interest and will not be hindered by opposition from the Chinese government.
Elliott further explained that in Indiana, the government serves the people, not the people serving the government, and criticized the Chinese Communist Party for the long-term reversal of this relationship.
“The Chinese Communist Party keeps tabs on its own people, and now it looks like Indiana’s elected representatives are under surveillance, too.” He questioned why a foreign government was paying so much attention to the activities of Indiana officials.
Elliott also linked the controversy to Indiana’s farmland protection policies, pointing out that Indiana is restricting purchases of farmland by foreign entities, including certain transactions involving entities affiliated with the Chinese government. He said his office will continue to support policies that protect Indiana’s farmland.
In addition, Elliott said his office has generated cumulative investment income of nearly 1.8 billion yuan over the past three years, achieving record results. He said the timing and wording of the letter sent by the Chinese Consulate showed that the outside world was paying more attention to the consequences of his rule.
Elliott ultimately reiterated that his responsibility is to serve the people of Indiana, abide by the law and fiduciary responsibilities, and continue to promote legitimate economic cooperation with Taiwan.
