The country's newly appointed representative to the UK, Edgar Lin (林俊義), has a political career as diverse as his academic accomplishments.
Dubbed Taiwan's "Godfather of Environmental Movement," Lin was head of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) from 2000 to 2001. His brief service at the EPA ended shortly after an oil spill devastated a highly cherished ecological conservation area in southern Taiwan.
TAIPEI TIMES FILE PHOTO
The spill, caused by a Greek cargo ship, the MV Armogos, ran aground on a reef near the Kengting National Park, triggered vehement attacks against Lin from both the governing and opposition parties, which blamed the EPA for its slow response to the disaster that ruined many coral reefs.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government sacked him in order to ease public anger about the agency's inefficiency in handling the oil spill, even though some international environmental experts said the EPA took the corrective measures to salvage the polluted area, Wealth Magazine reported at that time.
"Nobody doubts Lin's seriousness toward his job and his sense of mission toward the environment," the magazine said. However, Lin, a DPP member who did not join any party faction, could hardly find political support after the spill incident.
"Lin is a lonely bird fighting the MV Armogos," the magazine article also said.
Author of the book, The Evil Spirit of Politics (政治的邪靈), Lin once described politics as "an ocean full of sharks" and "the most filthy and cruel whirlpool" in the world. Nevertheless, he also noted he wanted to see his ideals realized through his participation in politics.
Lin, who was sworn in as representative to the UK last week, reflected on the political turmoil he faced after the oil spill.
"Politicizing environmental issues will bring many regrets," he said in an interview.
Probably because of the grinding political pressure he went through three years ago, Lin showed deep sympathy to former representative to the UK, Tien Hung-mao (田弘茂), who resigned after his office was found to have issued a passport to fugitive arms dealer Andrew Wang's (汪傳浦) wife.
Tien is widely regarded as a scapegoat for the visa fiasco, as many believe certain senior government officials have condoned or even facilitated the Wang family's application for visas and other legal documents in Taiwan's overseas representative offices.
"It is deeply regrettable that Tien resigned over the visa matter. The consular section in the London office is very busy. It is impossible for Tien to check every application form. His performance is highly acclaimed. Everybody says he did a great job in the UK," Lin said.
Six months after he resigned from the EPA, Lin was appointed ambassador to Gambia. Lin said his career transition from EPA head to a diplomat gave him an opportunity to enjoy a diverse life.
Viewing the UK as a vital diplomatic front, the government traditionally appointed internationally renowned figures to be representatives to London. Tien, for example, is a well-respected academic and a former foreign minister.
Lin's contribution to Taiwan's anti-nuclear movement, international reputation as a biologist and achievements in Gambia are among the host of reasons why the government chose him to be Taiwan's representative in the UK, observers said.
"People tend to think only those who study diplomacy in university can be diplomats. Actually, broad knowledge and life experience are more important to a diplomat. If you look at resumes of foreign diplomats, you will find that they come from all sorts of backgrounds," said Lin.
Though better known for his scientific accomplishments, Lin got his bachelor's degree at National Taiwan University's Department of Foreign Languages and Literature. After university, he went to the US and decided to study biology at the Goshen College.
Citing John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and Arthur Miller's Death of A Salesman as two of his favorite books, Lin said his reading of what he called "naturalism" in American literature aroused his desire to study biology.
"I have been pursuing a colorful life through living different lifestyles. I am fortunate because I am given such opportunities," he said.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could
RSS