本會籌劃「外交憶舊」系列，邀請資深外交人員及對涉外事務熟稔的專家分享曾經發生在他們身上有趣或令人玩味的小故事。
以下來自本會令狐副會長榮達大使的親身經歷，也是「外交憶舊」系列的第二篇，請撥冗閱讀並與親朋故舊分享!
【1987年我在聖地牙哥—兩岸同框不同台】
令狐榮達 (對外關係協會副會長)
日期: 2018.06.04
本人進入外交部服務後的第一次外放是去洛杉磯任三等秘書（副領事），於1987年元月底抵任，奉當時駐洛杉磯辦事處處長劉達人大使指派負責僑務工作。抵任後沒多久就是農曆新年，僑界活動十分頻繁，幾乎天天參加春宴餐會，社團改選交接等等，一開始就忙個不停！
記得2月間聖地牙哥有一場活動，當地所有僑團（包含老僑、新僑、越棉寮、ABC）在跑馬場聯合舉辦盛大園遊會慶祝中國年，邀請本處以及中共駐舊金山總領館（註：中共駐洛杉磯總領館於1988年才設置）兩邊參加，事先說好雙方不上台不致詞；劉處長派我及僑委會派駐同仁梁柏堅秘書代表出席開幕活動，那時剛到任沒幾天，東南西北都搞不清楚，梁秘書開車接我一早出發去聖地牙哥。由於我是新人第一次公務到訪聖地牙哥，我們受到親我僑領的熱烈歡迎，中共舊金山總領館則來了兩位年輕的副領事。
開幕儀式即將開始前，梁秘書忽然告知甫與大會親我方人士說好，將於大會主席致詞後邀請我上台作貴賓致詞，但不會邀對方致詞；由於主流賓客甚多，我上台就即席以英語代表中華民國駐洛杉磯辦事處劉處長及全體同仁向大家問好拜年，並對聖地牙哥僑界發揚中華文化表達敬佩等語，接著開幕式結束，在場大陸兩位官員想必感到錯愕，一直向主辦單位抗議要求安排上台致詞，但是開幕式結束後， 賓客散了各自遊園去，已來不及做任何安排！
記得當天遊園，曾經過一個美國主要電話公司的推廣攤位，桌上放置有中共五星旗，我內心反感，就跟顧攤位的美國員工表示，中國大陸不民主沒人權，文革害死千萬人民，這麼多海外華人遠來美國皆因為反共，此旗並不為大家認同云云，我說完就走，繞一圈再回去看，那位老兄採納雅言已悄悄地將五星旗收了起來。
當晚梁秘書與我直接回到洛杉磯華埠參加僑團春宴，梁秘書將我上台致詞的照片以及兩岸同場情形發給華文媒體記者，由於當時甚少兩岸官員出席同一活動案例，第二天各大華文日報皆有報導，而國際日報尤其刻意做新聞，將我上台致詞照片放在頭版，並下了略為聳動的標題，劉處長誇我上相；當時覺得幸賴幹練人脈良好的梁秘書聯繫安排，讓我這初次出陣的小秘書小勝一場不辱使命，而這次小遭遇戰似也引領了我爾後三十年時刻不離兩岸因素的外交工作！
後記：該次聖地牙哥活動，據悉兩位中共人員為扳回一點面子且回去舊金山對上級有所交代，特多留了兩日在園遊會結束時額外安排致詞，但據說現場沒有什麼觀眾當然也沒有新聞報導，猜測他們回舊金山多半會受到內部檢討或處分；兩年後，1989年天安門事件爆發，某日梁秘書和我赫然看到報導那兩位中共外領人員在舊金山棄館潛逃向美國政府請求政治庇護！推想那次聖地牙哥事件正是他們申請庇護的好理由啊！
The Association is planning a "Diplomatic Memories" series, inviting senior diplomats and experts with knowledge of foreign affairs to share interesting or interesting little stories that have happened to them.
The following is from the personal experience of Ambassador Rongda, the second in the "Diplomatic Memories" series. Please take the time to read and share with family and friends!
【I was in San Diego in 1987 - different sets on both sides of the Strait 】
Li Fu Rongda (Vice President of the Association for Foreign Relations)
Date: 2018.06.04
My first release after joining the Foreign Ministry was to Los Angeles as Third Secretary (Deputy Consul), arrived at the end of January 1987 and was assigned by Ambassador Liu Dayan, then Director of the Los Angeles Office. Not long after I arrived in office, Lunar New Year activities are very frequent. I attend the Spring banquet dinner almost every day, I am busy from the beginning!
Remember that there was an event in San Diego in February. All the local groups (including the boss, the Niigata, the Vietnamese cotton yoke, and the ABC) held a grand park parade at the Happy Racecourse to celebrate the Chinese Year. The two sides were invited to participate in the event (note: the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles was only set up in 1988) and said in advance that the two sides would not speak in advance. Director Liu sent me and my colleague, Secretary Liang Bajian, to attend the opening event. A few days after I arrived in office, I couldn't figure it out. Secretary Liang drove me to San Diego in the morning. Since I was a newcomer's first official visit to San Diego, we received a warm welcome from the pro-my program, and two young vice consuls came from the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco.
Before the opening ceremony was about to start, Secretary Liang suddenly informed Yao and the pro-our people of the conference that he would invite me to the stage to deliver a VIP speech after the president of the conference delivered his speech, but he would not invite the other party to speak. Since there were so many mainstream guests, I took the stage to represent Republic of China Director Liu of the Los Angeles office and all the colleagues greeted everyone with good greetings and expressed admiration for the Chinese culture in San Diego. Then the opening ceremony ended. The two mainland officials must have felt wrong and kept protesting to the organizer and asked for arrangements to address the stage. But after the opening ceremony, the guests scattered to their respective gardens, it was too late to make any arrangements.
Remember that day in the park, there was a promotion booth of a major US phone company. The five-star flag of the Chinese Communist Party was placed on the table. My heart was repugnant. I told the American staff in the position that mainland China is not democratic and has no human rights. The Cultural Revolution killed tens of millions of people. So many overseas Chinese came to the United States because of anti-communism. This flag does not recognize cloud for everyone. I said it, I went around and went back to see it. The old man adopted Yiyuan has quietly collected the
Secretary Liang and I went directly back to Los Angeles to attend the Spring Festival Banquet. Secretary Liang sent the photos of my speech on stage and the situation on both sides of the Straits to Chinese media reporters. Since there were few officials from both sides of the Strait attending the same event, the next day, the major Chinese daily newspapers reported it. The International Daily especially deliberately did news. Put the photo of me on the front page and put a slightly stirring title. Director Liu turned me on the front page. At that time, I felt that thanks to the well-connected Secretary Liang, I was very lucky to have a good contact arrangement, my first time, little secretary won't be humiliated, and this small encounter seems to lead us to diplomatic work without leaving the cross-St
Postscript: At the San Diego event, it is reported that two Chinese Communist Party personnel, in order to get some face back and go back to San Francisco to explain to their superiors, had left two days to arrange extra speeches at the end of the park parade. But it is said that there was no audience at the scene and of course there was no news report, guessing that most of them would be subject to internal review or punishment when they returned to San Francisco. Two years later, the Tiananmen Square incident broke out in 1989. One day, Secretary Liang and I saw the report that the two Chinese foreign workers had absconded to the US government for Guess the San Diego incident was a good reason for them to apply for asylum!


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