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.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
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