Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) chairman Morris Chang (張忠謀) has declined an offer to become a senior adviser to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), the company said in a statement yesterday.
Chang said in the statement that he is not suitable for the position, because he is the owner of an international enterprise that is 80 percent held by foreign investors and has 70 to 80 percent of its customers overseas.
He turned down the offer on Nov. 22, it said.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
The Presidential Office said Tsai respects Chang’s decision.
The offer was extended to Chang by Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) on Tsai’s behalf and Chang had initially accepted it, the office said.
A list of 20 senior advisers was released by the Presidential Office on Nov. 14.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
TSMC denied that Chang’s decision had anything to do with China after speculation that he rejected the position because of concern that TSMC would be labeled by China as an enterprise that supports Taiwanese independence.
Taiwanese seafood restaurant chain Hai Pa Wang (海霸王), which is considered pro-Taiwanese independence by Beijing, was fined in China, ostensibly for mislabeling.
According to Chinese media reports, the fine against the restaurant chain was a political move by Beijing that signaled little tolerance for investors that support Taiwanese independence.
That development forced Hai Pa Wang to place a newspaper advertisement on Monday which stated that it “firmly supports the idea that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to ‘one China.’”
Meanwhile, bicycle maker Giant Manufacturing Co (巨大機械) confirmed that its chairman, King Liu (劉金標), also on Nov. 28, turned down the president’s offer to become a senior adviser.
When asked why Liu declined Tsai’s offer, Giant spokesman Ken Li (李書耕) quoted Liu as saying that the chairman thinks he is not suitable for the position because he is 82 years old and planning to retire at the end of this year.
People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), as well as veteran pro-Taiwanese independence advocates Peng Ming-min (彭明敏) and Kao Chun-ming (高俊明) also rejected offered positions.
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