Taiwan-US diplomatic immunity treaty to be re-examined: MOFA

The MOFA said it has proposed a comprehensive review of the privileges, exemptions and immunities in the treaty so that Taiwanese diplomats in the U.S. will be guaranteed better rights in the future.

The U.S. has agreed to Taiwan's request to review the treaty, which was signed in October 1980, the MOFA said.

The terms of the treaty became an issue after Jacqueline Liu, director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Kansas City, was arrested by the FBI on Nov. 10, 2011 on changes of overworking and underpaying her two Filipino housekeepers. A week later, Liu entered a plea bargain.

On Friday, she was sentenced to the time she had already served, ordered to pay US$80,044 in restitution to the two women and was given a deportation order.

“We expect Liu to return to Taiwan soon,” said MOFA spokesman James Chang.

The MOFA said the case highlighted that there was a “considerable difference” in the two sides' interpretation and execution of the diplomatic immunity treaty.

Taiwan had argued that Liu should have been granted immunity, while the U.S. maintained that her status was similar to that of a consular officer, which meant that immunity would have applied only within the scope of her authorized functions.

Chang said a special MOFA team will carry out an internal investigation into the Liu case when she returns to Taiwan.

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