Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) yesterday expressed anger regarding the nation’s Representative to the US King Pu-tsung’s (金溥聰) decision not to attend a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, saying that the envoy did not take the legislature seriously.
Chiu made the remarks at a press conference after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier in the day said that King would not return to Taiwan to attend the legislative committee hearing as requested by lawmakers.
Chiu, a convener of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, had requested that King report on Taiwan-US relations at a hearing scheduled for Monday.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
King, who returned to Washington earlier this week, has a tight schedule, as he oversees many Taiwan-US projects and communications with the US on related matters, ministry spokeswoman Anna Kao (高安) said.
Kao said the ministry informed the committee that King would not be able to attend the hearing as requested, because he has to stay in Washington to deal with important issues pertaining to bilateral ties.
Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin (林永樂) said King made a trip home earlier this month to deal with a “special” Taiwan-US project that has been in place for years and covers trade and other issues.
Chiu said King’s decision not to attend the session amounted to a contempt of the legislature, adding that it was an “unacceptable” set of circumstances.
Chiu said that she had given King plenty of time to fit the hearing into his schedule and she had informed him as early as Dec. 2 about the plans for the committee meeting.
Chiu said that she would not rule out freezing the ministry’s budgets if King does not attend the legislative committee hearing as requested.
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