The nation's representative to Singapore said he had decided to tender his resignation because he didn't see eye to eye with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government's campaign of "de-sinification" and the removal of artifacts related to dictator Chiang Ka-shek's (蔣介石) regime.
Hu Wei-jen (
He told the Chinese-language daily that he had said he had decided to end his 35-year career as a public servant.
Hu assumed his current post in June 2005. He is scheduled to return to Taiwan tomorrow.
He also told the Central News Agency (CNA) yesterday that he would travel to the US in September to serve as a visiting scholar at Harvard University.
"Since we are all clearly Chinese, I do not approve of some of the policies [adopted by the DPP administration,]" he was quoted as saying in the CNA report.
Hu said that Singapore and Taiwan treat the early history of the Republic of China (ROC) very differently.
In the two years he served as representative in Singapore, he said, he visited "Evening Garden", a museum dedicated to Sun Yat-sen (孫中山) more than a dozen times.
Hu said he visited the garden repeatedly not just because the picture of his own father was featured among the exhibits, but for the richness and educational content in the museum exhibits pertaining to the history of the ROC.
Hu is the son of Army general Hu Zongnan (
"I have learned much that I didn't know about the ROC's history in Singapore," Hu Wei-jen told the CNA. "Even Singapore accepts and honors this history ... What right does Taiwan have to pull down the bronze [statue] of Chiang?"
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Yeh Fei-bi (
Yeh said Hu Wei-jen, while serving as the nation's representative to Germany and Singapore, has a history of putting personal views above his duties as a diplomat as well as putting personal interests above that of the nation.
The ministry will "begin to review the matter," Yeh said.
Taiwan Solidarity Union spokeswoman Chou Mei-li (周美里) and DPP Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), who is a member of the legislature's Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee, were critical of Hu Wei-jen when asked by reporters for comments.
"As a government official -- particularly as Taiwan's representative stationed abroad -- he ought to defend the government's policy. If he cannot agree with the government's policy, he should go," Chou said.
However, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator John Chiang (蔣孝嚴) and People First Party Legislator Daniel Hwang (黃義交), said they admired Hu for his courage in expressing his views.
Additional reporting by Flora Wang
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The Taiwan Experience Education Program (TEEP) has funded short-term internships in Taiwan for more than 4,500 young people from more than 40 countries since 2015, with the goal of attracting and retaining international talent, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. Fifty-five colleges launched 514 projects this year, including in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, medicine and biotechnology, green energy, and sustainability, it said. The program provides research and practical internships in Taiwan for two to six months, and offers cultural exchange and networking opportunities, the ministry said. For example, National Formosa University’s Embedded System and Autopilot Laboratory developed two solar-powered drones in
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
Taipei resident Mu Chu-hua caught some glimpses of China’s mighty military parade on YouTube on Wednesday. As she watched hypersonic missiles roll down Beijing’s Changan Avenue and troops march in lockstep, she did not feel like they posed a threat to Taiwan. Mu, a 69-year-old retiree, said she saw the parade as simply a way for Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to “say thank you to the troops.” “I thought it was quite normal,” she said. “It was very cool.” China’s military parade commemorating the end of World War II was being watched internationally for insights into Beijing’s military advances and its show
RSS