Tien admitted that legislative and media scrutiny, as well as executive-branch influences, have at times restricted the ministry's room to maneuver.
A veteran lawmaker, however, expressed reservations about Tien's performance as a low-key minister. "He is working hard, but somehow the public impression is that he hasn't done much, even though he hasn't made any serious mistakes," the lawmaker said, who declined to be named.
"With Taiwan's accession to the World Trade Organization, for example, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seemed to let the Ministry of Economic Affairs enjoy the spotlight. Tien could have been a bit more aggressive in trying to say out loud that his ministry was ready to utilize the WTO platform to promote Taiwan's diplomacy," the source said.
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