Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin (林永樂) yesterday apologized to I-Mei Foods Co general manager Kao Chih-ming (高志明), who complained about his treatment at the spring banquet for foreign ambassadors and representatives hosted by the ministry at the Grand Hotel on Thursday night.
While answering questions from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chang Chia-chun (張嘉郡) at a -question-and-answer session in the legislature in Taipei, Lin said he wanted to extend an apology to Kao for any disrespect.
An article with a photograph of Kao sitting alone at a table was yesterday posted on the Web site of Taiwan News, a news outlet of which Kao was the publisher, arousing heated online discussion and causing several lawmakers across party lines to accuse the ministry of a “breach of etiquette.”
Screen grab from the Internet
Kao said in a statement that he had attended numerous government functions before, but had never felt as angry as he had on Thursday night.
“I sat at the table alone from the beginning to the end. Throughout the banquet, no one from the ministry came over to extend any sort of hospitality to me,” Kao said, adding that he would never forget the experience.
Kao said he did not want to see anyone punished by the ministry for neglecting guests at the state banquet, but wanted to remind everyone in President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration to perform their duties well until their last day in office.
The experience reflected the administration’s perfunctory attitude during Ma’s remaining time in office, Kao said.
Late last night, ministry spokesperson Anna Kao (高安) said that Kao Chih-ming was to be seated at table “blue 6” with other guests, but he instead sat at table “green 6,” which was reserved for staff members.
Anna Kao said the ministry did not know why Kao Chih-ming sat at “green 6,” despite staff telling him that his seat was at “blue 6.”
Anna Kao also apologized to Kao Chih-ming.
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