Former lawmaker and musician Freddy Lim (林昶佐) is to serve as Taiwan’s next representative to Finland, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) confirmed today.
Lim’s appointment is currently being processed and would be officially announced by the Presidential Office at a later date, Lin told reporters prior to a meeting at the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.
Lim previously served two terms as a legislator and on the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, making him familiar with Taiwan’s diplomatic affairs, Lin said.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Lim did not run for re-election last year to spend time with a family member suffering from a rare disease.
He has a strong international perspective and experience with international exchanges, especially with human rights diplomacy, Lin said.
President William Lai (賴清德) places a strong emphasis on values-based diplomacy, including human rights and cultural diplomacy, Lin said.
The president believes that with Lim’s past experience, he would be able to engage in international exchanges and effectively promote comprehensive diplomacy between Taiwan and northern Europe, as well as globally, the minister said.
Comprehensive diplomacy requires a diverse range of talents, including people from economic and cultural fields, as well as career diplomats, he said.
The number of ambassadors and representatives the president appoints each year is limited to protect promotion opportunities for career diplomats, he added.
Finland is also famous for its heavy metal music scene, raising hopes for collaboration opportunities with the Chthonic leading man.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their
RSS