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KMT heavyweight may be next envoy to the US

The nation's top representative to Brussels, David Lee (李大維) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), may take up the position of the nation's top diplomat in Washington once the Cabinet is reshuffled, sources said yesterday.

"The appointment could be finalized as soon as the US government approves it," said a source at the Presidential Office.

In other appointments, Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) will head the Government Information Office (GIO) while Minister without Portfolio Yeh Jiunn-rong (葉俊榮) will take the top job at the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission.

In addition, Wu Maw-kuen (吳茂昆), the director at the Institute of Physics at Academia Sinica, will head the National Science Council. Lin Ferng-ching (林逢慶), chief executive of the Institute for Information Industry, a government-funded research organization, will become a minister without portfolio in charge of technology-related bills.

According to Lin Chia-lung, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has asked Lee about his interest in the position.

"In fact, the president has discussed this matter with Premier Yu Shyi-kun several times," Lin said.

"The premier, however, respects the decision of the president because, after all, the appointment of high-ranking officials in the fields of foreign affairs, cross-strait affairs and national defense fall under the jurisdiction of the president.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Deputy Secretary General Lee Ying-yuan (李應元), who served as the deputy representative to the US from 2000 to 2002, said that Lee seemed to be a fine candidate for the job.

"He's a competent civil servant and an outstanding diplomat," he said.

David Lee, 55, served as a staff consultant at the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington between 1982 and 1988 and as a principal assistant to the foreign minister from 1988 to 1989. He then moved back and forth between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the GIO and was appointed to his current job last year.

Commenting on David Lee's political affiliation, Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), director of the DPP's Information and Culture Department, said that a career diplomat should have the nation's interests in mind, not the interest of his or her party.

"Diplomats represent the country and should work for the interests of the country. The government is bound to lose a lot of diplomatic talent after the transfer of power if people's political backgrounds become an issue," Cheng said.

Legislative Speaker and KMT Vice Chairman Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said that he expected the party to allow David Lee to take up his new position, as it did when he took his current job.

"We're happy that his performance is being recognized by the DPP administration," Wang said.

"It's not easy to find a suitable representative to the US because the person has to be well aware of the political climate there and have broad and direct connections with important people," Wang said.

Meanwhile, DPP Legislator Parris Chang (張旭成) said that Chen telephoned him yesterday morning to express his interest in recruiting him to the Presidential Office.

"I told him that I'm willing to accept any challenge, although he failed to specify what particular position he has in mind for me," Chang said.

Speculation was rife that Chang would take up the position of deputy secretary-general at the National Security Council.
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