Taiwan Quick Take: Huang apologizes over trip

Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (黃志芳) apologized yesterday for taking his youngest son on a recent visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Huang traveled to Abu Dhabi last week with his wife and son aboard a China Airlines flight to mark the inauguration of the Taiwanese carrier's new service between the UAE capital and Taipei. As the UAE maintains diplomatic ties with China, Huang said taking his family on the Abu Dhabi trip was aimed at tempering political sensitivity over their presence in the UAE and avoiding giving Beijing an excuse to find fault with the oil-rich country. Nevertheless, Huang admitted it was not a wise decision to take his son on the trip. "I will now take this occasion to apologize to my fellow countrymen for my lapse in judgment." he added.