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.
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