Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Yao Jen-to (姚人多) was yesterday elected as vice chairman and secretary-general of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).
Yao’s election was confirmed by the board of the foundation, spokeswoman Kuan An-lu (管安露) said.
Following his confirmation, Yao said he would work with the foundation’s staff to handle cross-strait affairs based on the principle of serving the interests of people on the both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Kuan said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Asked how Yao’s stance on Taiwanese independence might affect his job, Kuan said that politics should not influence people-to-people exchanges between Taiwan and China, adding that the two sides of the strait have engaged in exchanges for more than 30 years.
Taiwan has always kept an open mind about cross-strait exchanges and would not turn down opportunities for communication with pro-unification factions in China, Kuan said.
During a public forum in 2013, Yao, at the time an associate professor of sociology at National Tsing Hua University, said that Taiwanese independence had lost its place in the mainstream and urged the Democratic Progressive Party to facilitate democratization in China by promoting Taiwan’s experiences in furthering democracy, freedom and human rights.
Yao on Wednesday resigned from his Presidential Office position to take up the new role, Kuan said.
Yao is a capable person who would contribute to the positive development of cross-strait relations, foundation chairwoman Katharine Chang (張小月) said.
The foundation would in August or September set up a telephone hotline to provide information to young people who wish to study in China, she said.
It would also continue to improve its services for China-based Taiwanese businesses, Chinese spouses of Taiwanese and Chinese students in Taiwan, Chang added.
Additional reporting by staff writer
Restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to be included in the Michelin Guide’s review for the first time this year, alongside existing entries from Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, the France-based culinary publication said yesterday. This year’s edition of the Michelin Guide Taiwan is to be unveiled on Aug. 19 in Taipei. In addition to the coveted star ratings, Michelin Taiwan would announce its “Bib Gourmand” selections — a distinction awarded to establishments offering high-quality food at moderate prices — on Aug. 12. This year’s Bib Gourmand list would also feature restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu
A firefighter yesterday died after falling into New Taipei City's Xindian River when a rescue dinghy capsized during a search mission for a man who was later found dead. The New Taipei City Fire Department said that it received a report at 4:12pm that a 50-year-old man, surnamed Chen (陳), had fallen into the river. A 32-year-old firefighter, surnamed Wu (吳), was among the rescuers deployed to look for Chen, the fire department said, adding that he and five other rescue personnel were in the dinghy when it capsized. Wu had no vital signs after being pulled from the water to the
Organizing one national referendum and 26 recall elections targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators could cost NT$1.62 billion (US$55.38 million), the Central Election Commission said yesterday. The cost of each recall vote ranges from NT$16 million to NT$20 million, while that of a national referendum is NT$1.1 billion, the commission said. Based on the higher estimate of NT$20 million per recall vote, if all 26 confirmed recall votes against KMT legislators are taken into consideration, along with the national referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, the total could be as much as NT$1.62 billion, it said. The commission previously announced
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday welcomed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s remarks that the organization’s cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners must be deepened to deter potential threats from China and Russia. Rutte on Wednesday in Berlin met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Germany’s accession to NATO. He told a post-meeting news conference that China is rapidly building up its armed forces, and the number of vessels in its navy outnumbers those of the US Navy. “They will have another 100 ships sailing by 2030. They now have 1,000 nuclear warheads,” Rutte said, adding that such
RSS