After nearly five months without a deputy, the Mainland Affairs Council was finally able to fill the position this past week with Vice Chairman David Huang (
While Huang has spent most of his career in academic circles, his family is no stranger to politics. He is perhaps better known as the son of former Central Election Commission Chairman Huang Shih-cheng (
TAIPEI TIMES FILE PHOTO
"The words of advice my father gave to me [about the position] were: Do not be late, be honest, and be cooperative when possible," Huang said.
Huang's sister, Lisa Huang (黃文玲), is also involved in local politics, running in Chuanghua county for a seat in the legislature in the December elections as an independent. Huang has no party affiliations and expressed no desire to join one of the major parties.
In academia, David Huang is also known for his research on the European Union, referendum procedures and the British electoral processes. Given the emphasis generally placed on ties with the US in cross-strait efforts, Huang is generally considered to be one of the few researchers with an expertise on Europe.
His educational credentials are impeccable, with degrees in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Oxford.
He has also held various teaching and research positions in Europe and Japan and has been published in academic journals.
His former co-workers at the Academia Sinica Institute of European and American Studies are also respectful of his Huang. His colleagues told the Taipei Times that his research was very "solid" and that his ability to articulate ideas in both Chinese and English made him a good choice for the position.
However, asked whether he had ever visited China or had any concrete contact with Chinese officials, Huang said that he'd only been to China once in the late 1990s. Huang had apparently suffered from indigestion during the trip and was treated at a local hospital.
Council Chairman Joseph Wu (
Huang joins the council just months after announcements of possible revisions to its structure. The reorganization is expected to dissolve the council and erect a new government agency as part of the Premier's Office.
The revisions would be an influential factor in the nation's cross-strait policymaking mechanism and although it has been called a bureaucratic "upgrade" for the council, the council's future remains uncertain.
"I know what my profession is -- this is just a job change," Huang said.
He also said that his focus is still research and teaching, but taking on a government position was his duty as a citizen of a democratic society.
"I will do what I can in my capacity. Time is not a problem for me," he said.
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
RSS