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 yesterday.
The appointment is being processed and would be officially announced by the Presidential Office later, Lin said.
Lim, the lead singer of Taiwanese metal band Chthonic, previously served two terms as a legislator and on the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, making him familiar with Taiwan’s diplomatic affairs, he said.
Photo: Taipei Times
President William Lai (賴清德) places a strong emphasis on values-based diplomacy, including human rights and cultural diplomacy, he said.
The president believes that with Lim’s experience, he would be able to engage in international exchanges and effectively promote comprehensive diplomacy between Taiwan and northern Europe, as well as globally, he said.
Comprehensive diplomacy requires a diverse range of talent, including people from economic and cultural fields, as well as career diplomats, Lin said.
The number of ambassadors and representatives the president appoints each year is limited to protect promotion opportunities for career diplomats, he added.
Separately, the Presidential Office yesterday said former deputy representative to India Chen Mu-min (陳牧民) would replace Baushuan Ger (葛葆萱) as Taiwan’s representative to India.
It did not say why Ger was being replaced or when Chen would take up his new post as head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India, a post Ger has held since 2020.
Meanwhile, Chiang Ya-chi (江雅綺) has been appointed as the new deputy head of the Taipei Representative Office in the UK, the Presidential Office said.
Chiang, who is a professor in the College of Ocean Law and Policy at National Taiwan Ocean University, would replace Liu Hui-chien (柳惠千), a former air force fighter jet pilot, it said.
Liu has resigned as deputy head of the Taiwan office in London, where he had been serving since 2023, it said, without specifying when his replacement would take up the post.
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