Sources in Washington said that William Stanton, the US deputy chief of mission to Seoul, is no longer at the top of the list to replace American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Stephen Young when he steps down this summer.
The sources, who spoke on condition of strict anonymity, said Stanton's name had been withdrawn by the US State Department as a result of pressure from congressional members.
From the start, the State Department has refused to comment on the pending appointment and declined to confirm that Stanton was ever their candidate of choice or that he has been dropped.
“It's more than gossip and rumor, but I have not seen anything in writing,” one diplomatic source said.
“The word we are getting is that Stanton is no longer in the running,” a congressional source said.
Stanton came under fire in April after he allegedly made highly insensitive comments about two US journalists — Taiwanese American Laura Ling (凌志美) and Korean-American Euna Lee — who were arrested by the North Koreans on charges that they illegally entered the country.
He was said to have told a group of young congressional staff members visiting the embassy in Seoul that the women were “stupid” and that their case was “distracting from bigger issues.”
Earlier this week both women were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor and US President Barack Obama has become personally involved in trying to win their freedom.
US media have praised the pair's bravery and courage.
Republican Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the ranking member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, touched on the subject in a speech she was scheduled to deliver before a Heritage Foundation conference on Taiwan in Washington on Tuesday.
Because of a last minute scheduling conflict, Ros-Lehtinen was unable to attend the conference, but much of her speech was read by a senior staff member.
“One matter I wish to address, which was omitted in the original Taiwan Relations Act, is the desirability of having Senate confirmation required for the position of Director of the American Institute in Taiwan, as one would with any Ambassadorial position,” the statement read.
“[Former congressman] Mr [Tom] Tancredo put forward such legislation in the past Congress and I have heard that the Taiwan Congressional Caucus may consider similar legislation in the future,” it said.
“This would not only enhance Taiwan's desire for more international space but would also ensure that only the most qualified individuals are considered for the position,” it said.
“Not only has there been controversy about certain past directors, but my understanding is that the current leading candidate for that position made insensitive remarks about our two US citizens in North Korea sentenced only yesterday to years in the North Korean gulag, referring to them as 'stupid.' Is this the kind of representation we want in such a critical posting as Taipei?” the statement said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
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A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it