The Executive Yuan appeared to be heading for compromise with legislators over the controversial Agricultural Development Act (
While the legislature's economics committee was debating its review of the Act, the KMT's Central Standing Committee announced the appointment of Lin Hsiang-nung (
Lin replaced Peng Tso-kwei (
Lin, 63, who has been the council vice chairman since 1989, has served four chairmen including Yu Yu-hsien (
His appointment as vice chairman in 1989 raised eyebrows within the council because Lin had more experience in diplomacy than with matters regarding agriculture.
He served as secretary to then Minister of Foreign Affairs Lien Chan (
His 25 years of experience in foreign affairs made him a professional diplomat specializing in foreign languages, politics, the legal system, negotiation, and the quality that was desperately needed for the agricultural initiative of the time, internationalization.
Lin emphasized yesterday that he shared Peng's ideals but would respect the Legislature's decision on the issue.
Meanwhile, DPP legislator Ko Chien-ming (
Ko said that Lin's appointment itself was a clear sign that the Executive Yuan was determined to make a policy U-turn after Peng's departure.
Responding to Ko, Lin said he marched with the farmers because he wanted to let them know that the COA was "not ignoring their voice."
Birthplace
Born 1936 in Meinung (美濃), Kaohsiung County
Education
BA: Department of Foreign Affairs, National Chengchi University (政治?j學)
MA: Graduate School of Politics, Chinese Culture University (??國???j學)
Experience
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (25 years), including stints in Haiti, Argentina, Venezuela, and Chile
Served as MOFA's deputy director of the Central and South American Affairs division
Served as vice chairman of the Council of Agriculture for 10 years (1989 -- 1999)
SEPARATE: The MAC rebutted Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is China’s province, asserting that UN Resolution 2758 neither mentions Taiwan nor grants the PRC authority over it The “status quo” of democratic Taiwan and autocratic China not belonging to each other has long been recognized by the international community, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday in its rebuttal of Beijing’s claim that Taiwan can only be represented in the UN as “Taiwan, Province of China.” Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) yesterday at a news conference of the third session at the 14th National People’s Congress said that Taiwan can only be referred to as “Taiwan, Province of China” at the UN. Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, which is not only history but
CROSSED A LINE: While entertainers working in China have made pro-China statements before, this time it seriously affected the nation’s security and interests, a source said The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) late on Saturday night condemned the comments of Taiwanese entertainers who reposted Chinese statements denigrating Taiwan’s sovereignty. The nation’s cross-strait affairs authority issued the statement after several Taiwanese entertainers, including Patty Hou (侯佩岑), Ouyang Nana (歐陽娜娜) and Michelle Chen (陳妍希), on Friday and Saturday shared on their respective Sina Weibo (微博) accounts a post by state broadcaster China Central Television. The post showed an image of a map of Taiwan along with the five stars of the Chinese flag, and the message: “Taiwan is never a country. It never was and never will be.” The post followed remarks
INVESTMENT WATCH: The US activity would not affect the firm’s investment in Taiwan, where 11 production lines would likely be completed this year, C.C. Wei said Investments by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in the US should not be a cause for concern, but rather seen as the moment that the company and Taiwan stepped into the global spotlight, President William Lai (賴清德) told a news conference at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday alongside TSMC chairman and chief executive officer C.C. Wei (魏哲家). Wei and US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday announced plans to invest US$100 billion in the US to build three advanced foundries, two packaging plants, and a research and development center, after Trump threatened to slap tariffs on chips made
CONSISTENT COMMITMENT: The American Institute in Taiwan director said that the US would expand investment and trade relationships to make both nations more prosperous The US would not abandon its commitment to Taiwan, and would make Taiwan safer, stronger and more prosperous, American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene said. “The US’ commitment to Taiwan has been consistent over many administrations and over many years, and we will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan, including our opposition to any attempt to use force or coercion to change Taiwan’s status,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Liberty Times (the sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) on Friday last week, which was published in the Chinese-language newspaper yesterday. The US would double down on its efforts
RSS