After nearly five months without a deputy, the Mainland Affairs Council was finally able to fill the position this past week with Vice Chairman David Huang (
While Huang has spent most of his career in academic circles, his family is no stranger to politics. He is perhaps better known as the son of former Central Election Commission Chairman Huang Shih-cheng (
TAIPEI TIMES FILE PHOTO
"The words of advice my father gave to me [about the position] were: Do not be late, be honest, and be cooperative when possible," Huang said.
Huang's sister, Lisa Huang (黃文玲), is also involved in local politics, running in Chuanghua county for a seat in the legislature in the December elections as an independent. Huang has no party affiliations and expressed no desire to join one of the major parties.
In academia, David Huang is also known for his research on the European Union, referendum procedures and the British electoral processes. Given the emphasis generally placed on ties with the US in cross-strait efforts, Huang is generally considered to be one of the few researchers with an expertise on Europe.
His educational credentials are impeccable, with degrees in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Oxford.
He has also held various teaching and research positions in Europe and Japan and has been published in academic journals.
His former co-workers at the Academia Sinica Institute of European and American Studies are also respectful of his Huang. His colleagues told the Taipei Times that his research was very "solid" and that his ability to articulate ideas in both Chinese and English made him a good choice for the position.
However, asked whether he had ever visited China or had any concrete contact with Chinese officials, Huang said that he'd only been to China once in the late 1990s. Huang had apparently suffered from indigestion during the trip and was treated at a local hospital.
Council Chairman Joseph Wu (
Huang joins the council just months after announcements of possible revisions to its structure. The reorganization is expected to dissolve the council and erect a new government agency as part of the Premier's Office.
The revisions would be an influential factor in the nation's cross-strait policymaking mechanism and although it has been called a bureaucratic "upgrade" for the council, the council's future remains uncertain.
"I know what my profession is -- this is just a job change," Huang said.
He also said that his focus is still research and teaching, but taking on a government position was his duty as a citizen of a democratic society.
"I will do what I can in my capacity. Time is not a problem for me," he said.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS