The recent sexual misconduct allegation involving an aide to Taiwan’s representative to Fiji no doubt came as a scandalous shock to many, rocking diplomatic circles and casting a negative light on his diplomatic duty, which is supposed to be to uphold and promote a positive image of Taiwan. The subsequent so-called punitive action meted out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs comes across as equally shocking, to say the least. Handing First Secretary Leon Liu (劉壽軒) two mere demerits for “improper physical actions” seems to indicate a lack of seriousness at the ministry concerning a matter that has severely damaged the nation’s name and image.
While groping a female employee without her consent already constitutes severe misconduct, Liu offered the ridiculous excuse that he wanted to “investigate the breast shape of women from the South Pacific islands.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (楊進添) said on Tuesday that he was truly saddened by the incident, pointing out that diplomatic officials are different from ordinary people in that they represent the country and that any misconduct would hurt the nation’s image and dignity.
Yang said he had decided to hand out “more severe” disciplinary measures for Liu over the matter. However, if giving Liu two demerits constitutes “more severe” disciplinary action in dealing with the matter, it would raise serious doubts over the standards the ministry has adopted in handing out disciplinary action.
As documents the Trade Mission of the Republic of China sent to the Republic of the Fiji Islands suggest the incident has been settled out of court with 5,000 Fijian dollars (US$2,840) paid to the local employee, this raises the question whether it was the result of Liu’s superior, Taiwan’s Representative to Fiji Victor Chin (秦日新), working to cover up Liu’s alleged escapades.
Adding more damage to Taiwan’s international reputation is the allegation against Chin himself, who, in addition to having been accused of misusing public funds, is alleged to have been having an affair with a Japanese woman who worked at the Japanese embassy in Fiji.
While Chin has flatly denied having an extramarital affair — the issue remains under investigation — the slew of alleged scandalous irregularities begs the question: What has gone wrong with the nation’s diplomatic workers?
Given Taiwan’s dire diplomatic situation as a result of China’s persisting obstruction, Taiwanese diplomats have their work cut out for them abroad and the hard work of many should not be overshadowed by the incidents that allegedly took place at the Fiji mission.
However, under President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) “diplomatic truce,” in which Taipei no longer competes with Beijing for diplomatic allies, the allegations about what has been happening in Fiji seem to indicate that the nation’s public servants stationed abroad are being left with too much time on their hands with nothing better to do but fill their time with personal social affairs while on the taxpayers’ payroll. This could result in incompetent and despicable public servants — rather than those working toward improving bilateral relations — creating the lasting impression of Taiwan in the countries in which they are posted.
A gap appears to be emerging between Washington’s foreign policy elites and the broader American public on how the United States should respond to China’s rise. From my vantage working at a think tank in Washington, DC, and through regular travel around the United States, I increasingly experience two distinct discussions. This divergence — between America’s elite hawkishness and public caution — may become one of the least appreciated and most consequential external factors influencing Taiwan’s security environment in the years ahead. Within the American policy community, the dominant view of China has grown unmistakably tough. Many members of Congress, as
The shifting geopolitical tectonic plates of this year have placed Beijing in a profound strategic dilemma. As Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) prepares for a high-stakes summit with US President Donald Trump, the traditional power dynamics of the China-Japan-US triangle have been destabilized by the diplomatic success of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Washington. For the Chinese leadership, the anxiety is two-fold: There is a visceral fear of being encircled by a hardened security alliance, and a secondary risk of being left in a vulnerable position by a transactional deal between Washington and Tokyo that might inadvertently empower Japan
After declaring Iran’s military “gone,” US President Donald Trump appealed to the UK, France, Japan and South Korea — as well as China, Iran’s strategic partner — to send minesweepers and naval forces to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. When allies balked, the request turned into a warning: NATO would face “a very bad” future if it refused. The prevailing wisdom is that Trump faces a credibility problem: having spent years insulting allies, he finds they would not rally when he needs them. That is true, but superficial, as though a structural collapse could be caused by wounded feelings. Something
Former Taipei mayor and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) founding chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was sentenced to 17 years in prison on Thursday, making headlines across major media. However, another case linked to the TPP — the indictment of Chinese immigrant Xu Chunying (徐春鶯) for alleged violations of the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法) on Tuesday — has also stirred up heated discussions. Born in Shanghai, Xu became a resident of Taiwan through marriage in 1993. Currently the director of the Taiwan New Immigrant Development Association, she was elected to serve as legislator-at-large for the TPP in 2023, but was later charged with involvement
RSS