David Lee needs more praise
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 25 announced that the Coordination Council for North American Affairs had been renamed the Taiwan Council for US Affairs. It also confirmed that National Security Council Secretary-General David Lee (李大維) visited the US from May 13 to 21 for a meeting with White House National Security Adviser John Bolton.
It is the first time such a high-level meeting has taken place since Washington broke off diplomatic relations with Taipei four decades ago and marks significant progress in Taiwan-US relations.
In the media, eminent talking heads and figures within the pan-green camp have one after the other popped up to lavish praise on President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration and the ministry.
However, most commentators have overlooked the years of hard toil and the often thankless tasks performed by Lee, a veteran diplomat.
Lee, who was born into a family of diplomats, not only served as Taiwan’s US representative during former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) administration, he was also Tsai’s first minister of foreign affairs.
Three years ago, members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) accused Lee of having no backbone, while certain individuals within the pan-green camp were only slightly less critical, coining the insulting phrase “old blue man” to describe Lee, as well as other officials.
Critical voices were particularly clamorous when the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was trounced in last year’s local elections.
All of this negative criticism was illogical and totally unfounded.
Lee’s critics should examine their consciences. Following the transfer of political power from the KMT to DPP in 2016, are these critics saying that career civil servants who felt uneasy over the new direction of their country should have resigned on principle?
In Taiwan, the transfer of political power happens once every four years at the most, but serving one’s country and people is a noble cause and a lifetime’s work.
According to veteran media commentators, Lee is a modest and accommodating man, and never comes across as arrogant or haughty.
In April 2010, he was recognized by the now-defunct Canadian policy magazine Embassy as the second-most influential envoy to Canada, second only to the US ambassador.
Further, during his tenure in Canada, Lee won visa-free treatment for Republic of China nationals.
Lee graduated from a top US academic institution, the University of Virginia, and wrote his doctoral thesis on the legal procedure behind the US’ Taiwan Relations Act.
That Lee, in his capacity as secretary-general of the national security council, arranged a meeting with Bolton shows that he still harbors high ambitions and his talent is still being put to good use.
Fang Fu-chuan
Taichung
Uber good for taxi industry
In Shelly Shan’s report on the upcoming implementation of Article 103-1 of the Transportation Management Regulations (汽車運輸業管理條例) and its effect on Uber Taiwan’s operations, the deputy minister of transportation and communications said that the foreign company needs to join the diversified taxi program to continue operating in Taiwan (“Drivers switch to government program ahead of ‘Uber clause’ implementation,” May 31, page 2).
Meanwhile, Uber said that the government gave it limited information about the mechanism of the taxi program.
The contention between Uber and taxis has been a hot topic recently. As a consumer, I think people often care less about the operations behind a service and focus on the riding experience.
I believe that consumers should support whichever provides a better service.
To elaborate, consumers want a certain degree of control. Starting from calling a vehicle, the Uber app provides the fee before the ride and the location of the driver en route, preventing drivers from taking a detour to charge extra.
Customers can also immediately evaluate their ride, encouraging consideration from drivers, such as free bottled water and cleanliness.
The online payment option also benefits people not carrying change.
Although taxi drivers are often more experienced, taking shortcuts during emergencies or even serving as a tour guides, introducing foreigners to places of interest and different sightseeing spots, they are generally more expensive.
The taxi business is an old industry in Taiwan that supports many families, so it is understandable that taxi drivers are against the US company and that the government wants to protect the taxi market.
However, consumers’ needs should be taken into account first. Their preference reflects the services that should be provided.
Also important is the idea that competition drives performance in a free market. It might bring out the best in this old industry. Tensions between Uber and the taxi industry should be beneficial to service providers and consumers in the long run.
Desiree Ho
Taipei
Scooter test difficulty
As a Taiwanese, I appreciated the report on driver licenses for scooters (“Scooter test takers failing questions on safety: DGH,” June 2, page 2).
The test for scooter drivers has become much harder since 2015, as more questions and simulated scenarios have been added. As a result, the pass rate declined to 68.91 percent.
However, the rate increased to more than 70 percent since December last year, which shows that people are getting used to the harder test model.
I think the way that the Directorate-General of Highways has enhanced the difficulty of the scooter test benefits the safety of drivers and pedestrians.
Taiwan has the highest scooter density in Asia.
According to Ministry of Transportation and Communications, there were more than 13.8 million registered scooters last year, therefore it is extremely important for the government to make sure that every scooter driver has a complete knowledge of road safety.
To reduce the number of accidents, people should be carefully tested before they are allowed hit the road.
Despite Taiwan’s elaborate public transportation system, scooters still serve as the primary mode of transport, because it is easier to zip around on one. Hence, it is crucial that every rider is equipped with the right attitude and accurate knowledge.
All in all, it is wonderful to see that the government is taking steps to prevent hazardous accidents from happening.
Hsieh Chou-ting
New Taipei City
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