Presidential Office recruits academic

Foreign-affairs expert Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) will serve as the next deputy secretary-general to the president, replacing Eugene Chien (簡又新), sources from the Presidential Office said yesterday.

Wu, 48, is a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations at National Chengchi University. His new post became vacant after Chien was appointed minister of foreign affairs.

Wu told the Taipei Times yesterday that he met President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) at the Presidential Office on Feb. 8 and was asked to serve as his deputy secretary-general.

Wu accepted the offer and said he would start work by Wednesday.

According to sources, Chen has relied on Wu's expertise in foreign affairs matters since coming to power in May 2000.

"Wu has written many articles in the international media defending Chen's administration over the past one-and-a-half years," the Presidential Office source said.

After the president's first year in office, Wu published an essay in South Korea applauding the Chen administration for expanding Taiwan's space in the international community and stabilizing the cross-strait situation.

Wu wrote that successfully easing tensions in the Strait was one of Chen's greatest achievements, but also warned the president not to be too soft in dealing with Beijing.

Wu also enjoys good relations with Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), owing to their shared interest in foreign affairs. Last year Lu invited Wu to serve as her spokesman, but the scholar declined.

It was Antonio Chiang (江春男), deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council, who introduced Wu to the Government Informational Office (GIO), where Wu served as a consultant after President Chen's inauguration in May 2000.

"Most of my efforts were to help the GIO communicate with foreign scholars and academic institutes," Wu said.

For example, Wu helped bring foreign scholars to Taiwan to observe the December legislative elections.

Wu said President Chen has asked him for more help in promoting Taiwan's relationship with the international community.

"The Chen administration has already built a foundation for a high level of mutual trust with the George W. Bush administration, which will only get better in the future," Wu said. "And I will do my best to maintain the positive development."

Wu also had praise for Chien, noting his predecessor's help in organizing the president's diplomatic visits to Latin America and Africa.

"Mr. Eugene Chien, who is very experienced in foreign relations and national security affairs, has achieved a lot during his service as deputy secretary-general by helping the president maintain a dialogue with foreign friends," Wu said. "It will be a challenge to do the job better."

Wu said that after more than two decades in academia, he'll need time to become familiar with his new job.

"The first thing I have to do is to get rid of the scholarly habit of talking rubbish in public," Wu said.