Former US official Douglas Paal is expected to head the de facto American embassy in Taipei, reliable sources said yesterday. However, Taiwan's foreign ministry has yet to receive US confirmation of the appointment.
Taipei media reported yesterday that US President George W. Bush was expected to appoint Paal, president of Washington's non-profit Asia Pacific Policy Center, to replace Raymond Burghardt to be director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).
Spokespersons at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and AIT declined to comment yesterday on the report.
Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Katharine Chang (
When contacted by the Taipei Times to confirm or comment on the report, AIT Spokesperson Judith Mudd-Krijgelmans said: "No comment. I can't confirm it."
Foreign ministry officials said confirmation had not yet reached the ministry as of yesterday evening.
But a reliable source in the US said a months-long stalemate over the decision concluded after senior Bush advisor Karl Rove caved in to push for Paal's appointment, giving up on his choice, Chase Untermyer, former assistant secretary of the navy in the Reagan administration.
Paal was special assistant to former US president George Bush for national security affairs and senior director for Asian Affairs on the National Security Council, where he also served in the Reagan administration.
Paal has worked in the US State Department with the Policy Planning Staff and as a senior analyst for the CIA. He also served at US embassies in Beijing and Singapore.
A veteran participant in "track two" diplomacy across the Taiwan Strait, Paal has maintained close ties with scholars and officials in Taipei, including Taipei's top representative to the US Chen Chien-jen (
In fact, Paal was a student of Senior Advisor of the National Security Council Michael Kao (高英茂) at Brown University over 30 years ago, an assistant to Kao said.
Observers in Taipei held mixed views of the likely appointment, with some saying Paal's veteran experience in track two diplomacy was an asset to his future job as the AIT office chief in Taipei.
"His experiences in shuttling across the Taiwan Strait over the years would be conducive to his future job, as he has established various channels with diverse political parties in Taiwan and in academia here," said Su Chi (
Philip Yang (
"His ties with James will ensure good channels would be established between the State Department and the AIT in Taipei," Yang said.
Lilley and Paal were former colleagues at the National Security Council in the administration of Bush's father.
Paal's criticism in June of President Bush's statement that the US would do "whatever it takes" to defend Taiwan backfired, triggering antagonism against him from more conservative Republicans, sources said.
In an interview in March last year, Paal said that instead of trying to win diplomatic recognition, Taiwan would be better off seeking excellence in non-political global interests, such as AIDS research.
Su Chi, an old friend of Paal, said it's not important what Paal has said in the past as the appointment, once confirmed, would make the Asian expert "representative of the US government here in Taipei, and who is required to abide by US policy."
TYPHOON: The storm’s path indicates a high possibility of Krathon making landfall in Pingtung County, depending on when the storm turns north, the CWA said Typhoon Krathon is strengthening and is more likely to make landfall in Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said in a forecast released yesterday afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the CWA’s updated sea warning for Krathon showed that the storm was about 430km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point. It was moving in west-northwest at 9kph, with maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts of up to 155kph, CWA data showed. Krathon is expected to move further west before turning north tomorrow, CWA forecaster Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said. The CWA’s latest forecast and other countries’ projections of the storm’s path indicate a higher
SLOW-MOVING STORM: The typhoon has started moving north, but at a very slow pace, adding uncertainty to the extent of its impact on the nation Work and classes have been canceled across the nation today because of Typhoon Krathon, with residents in the south advised to brace for winds that could reach force 17 on the Beaufort scale as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecast that the storm would make landfall there. Force 17 wind with speeds of 56.1 to 61.2 meters per second, the highest number on the Beaufort scale, rarely occur and could cause serious damage. Krathon could be the second typhoon to land in southwestern Taiwan, following typhoon Elsie in 1996, CWA records showed. As of 8pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 180km
TYPHOON DAY: Taitung, Pingtung, Tainan, Chiayi, Hualien and Kaohsiung canceled work and classes today. The storm is to start moving north this afternoon The outer rim of Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) at about noon yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, adding that the eye of the storm was expected to hit land tomorrow. The CWA at 2:30pm yesterday issued a land alert for Krathon after issuing a sea alert on Sunday. It also expanded the scope of the sea alert to include waters north of Taiwan Strait, in addition to its south, from the Bashi Channel to the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). As of 6pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 160km south of
SECURITY: The New Zealand and Australian navies also sailed military vessels through the Strait yesterday to assert the right of freedom of navigation The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force on Wednesday made its first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait in response to the intrusion by a Chinese reconnaissance aircraft into Japan’s sovereign airspace last month, Yomiuri Shimbun reported yesterday. The Japanese news platform reported that the destroyer JS Sazanamisailed down through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, citing sources in the Japanese government with knowledge of the matter. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi declined to comment on the reports at a regular briefing because they concern military operations. Military vessels from New Zealand and Australia also sailed through the Strait on the same day, Wellington’s defense ministry
RSS