Former minister of transportation and communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) has reportedly been selected for the new position of ambassador-at-large for digital New Southbound Policy initiatives.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) favors Lin for the role, which is to serve as a liaison between the government and private sector, a source said.
Administrative affairs would be handled by National Security Council advisory member Fu Don-cheng (傅棟成).
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
Lin’s office said that the former minister closely monistors the nation’s industrial development, although he at the moment is focusing on the Jan. 9 Taichung legislative by-election and did not comment further on the position.
Lin, who served as Taichung mayor from 2014 to 2018, stepped down as transportation minister in April following a deadly Taroko Express train crash earlier that month.
The government is looking to take advantage of Taiwan’s digital strengths to add momentum to its New Southbound Policy and open avenues for development, a source said.
Established shortly after Tsai took office in 2016, the policy aims to enhance ties with 18 countries in the Indo-Pacific region: Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
At an industrial innovation summit last month in Taichung, Tsai held talks with academic and industrial partners.
She also reportedly spoke with Lin, who was attending in his capacity as honorary chairman of the hosting foundation.
Afterward, at an anniversary event for the Taiwan Thinktank, Lin reportedly advised Tsai on the development potential of integrating digital initiatives in the New Southbound Policy.
Centering Taiwan’s Indo-Pacific strategy around its digital strengths would not only expand the nation’s influence from the first island chain into the wider region, but also serve its larger growth and security interests, people familiar with the decision said.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS