President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) plans to appoint former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) as the nation’s representative to Japan after she assumes office in May, a local news report said.
The decision was finalized last week after Hsieh accepted the position, the Chinese-language Apple Daily reported on its Web site late on Sunday.
Hsieh yesterday would not confirm the report, calling talk about his new job “a newspaper’s appointment.”
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
There has also been speculations about him accepting other assignments, Hsieh said.
Hsieh, who served as premier from 2005 to 2006 under the administration of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), would be the first former premier to serve as the nation’s representative to Japan, if he is selected for the job.
The 69-year-old’s long political career also included stints as a lawmaker and mayor of Kaohsiung.
Citing a Democratic Progressive Party the source familiar with the matter, Apple Daily said Tsai made the decision mainly because of Hsieh’s good connections in Japan’s political circles.
Another consideration was Hsieh’s proposed “constitutional consensus” for dealing with cross-strait relations, which Japan finds acceptable, the report said.
According to another source within the pan-green camp, Hsieh’s appointment is highly anticipated in Japan because he has studied there, speaks fluent Japanese and maintains good relationships in Japan’s political circles, the newspaper said.
Hsieh’s status as a former premier would also reflect the importance the future Tsai administration accords relations with Japan, the source said.
SET News cable channel cited former representative to Japan Koh Se-kai (許世楷) as saying that because Hsieh studied in Japan for many years, he has a certain degree of understanding of that nation’s history and culture.
However, in light of the “China factor,” Koh suggested that Hsieh clearly define his policy views toward China and Japan.
‘NON-RED’: Taiwan and Ireland should work together to foster a values-driven, democratic economic system, leveraging their complementary industries, Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hopes for closer ties between Taiwan and Ireland, and that both countries could collaborate to create a values-driven, democracy-centered economic system. He made the remarks while meeting with an Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation visiting Taiwan. The delegation, led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Irish house of representatives, known as the Dail, includes Irish lawmakers Malcolm Byrne, Barry Ward, Ken O’Flynn and Teresa Costello. McGuinness, who chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, is a friend of Taiwan, and under his leadership, the association’s influence has grown over the past few years, Lai said. Ireland is
A saleswoman, surnamed Chen (陳), earlier this month was handed an 18-month prison term for embezzling more than 2,000 pairs of shoes while working at a department store in Tainan. The Tainan District Court convicted Chen of embezzlement in a ruling on July 7, sentencing her to prison for illegally profiting NT$7.32 million (US$248,929) at the expense of her employer. Chen was also given the opportunity to reach a financial settlement, but she declined. Chen was responsible for the sales counter of Nike shoes at Tainan’s Shinkong Mitsukoshi Zhongshan branch, where she had been employed since October 2019. She had previously worked
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
TRANSPORT DISRUPTION: More than 100 ferry services were suspended due to rough seas and strong winds, and eight domestic flights were canceled, the ministry said Tropical Storm Wipha intensified slightly yesterday as it passed closest to Taiwan, dumping more than 200mm of rain in Hualien and Taitung counties, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 11am, Wipha was about 210km southwest of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and was moving west-northwest at 27km per hour (kph). The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 101kph and gusts reaching 126kph, with a 150km radius of strong winds, CWA data showed. Wipha’s outer rainbands began sweeping across Taiwan early yesterday, delivering steady rainfall in the east and scattered showers in other regions, forecasters said. More heavy rain was expected, especially in the eastern
RSS