Taiwan Representative to the US David Lee (
The "sense of mission," rather than the pay, defines the job, Lee said.
"The thing is that we are not in the private sector," Lee told the Taipei Times. "In the private sector, you receive a salary according to your responsibility. We just work for the sense of mission."
Lee was responding to a question on complaints made in Taipei on Thursday by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator John Chiang (
Lee, a career diplomat, has spent most of his time as a foreign policy professional under KMT rule, although he was appointed to his present post by President Chen Shui-bian (
Chiang singled out the ambassador to Chad, Cheng Shin (鄭欣), who is the nation's highest-paid diplomat at NT$567,996 (US$17,740) per month -- a salary higher than the president's NT$462,300.
Chiang also said that the envoys to Japan, South Korea and Germany make well over NT$400,000 a month.
In contrast, Lee makes only NT$398,046 (US$12,431) a month, a figure that has not changed since he took over the Washington posting on July 23, 2004, according to the Foreign Ministry.
This, despite a work schedule that keeps him going, according to his own estimate, for 80 to 90 hours a week, and despite being the key intermediary for the nation's most crucial international relationship.
In comparison, Chen Shin in his Chadian posting must wrestle daily with the less-than-globally-compelling vacillations in N'Djamena-Taipei relations.
But Lee does not quarrel with the current system.
"Anyone who comes here must be one who has a sense of mission to be in this job, because what you do in Washington really matters a great deal to the country," he said.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
RSS