Outgoing representative to the EU Chen Chien-jen (
Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (黃志芳) confirmed a few days ago that Chen would retire from his post soon, but did not disclose the name of his successor.
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Michael Kau (高英茂) has been tipped as Chen's replacement, according to media reports.
Delayed retirement
Chen told the Central News Agency that he had planned to retire in 2000 and again in 2004, but opted to prioritize national interests over his personal plans after President Chen Shui-bian (
"There was a feeling of regret in my heart that I could not live a carefree life," Chen Chien-jen said.
"This feeling will be made up for now that my public service career will soon come to an end," he said.
The diplomat, a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party(KMT) who previously served as minister of foreign affairs when the party was in power, was appointed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government as the country's representative to the US in 2000.
He had intended to retire when he stepped down from that post in 2004, but later accepted the appointment of EU representative.
On the most unforgettable event of his foreign service career, Chen Chien-jen said it would be hard for him to forget the process of bilateral talks with the US government after the severance of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and the US.
However, being able to participate in the establishment of diplomatic relations with Nicaragua and Palau were pleasant experiences, he went on.
WHO participation
As for the government's bids to participate in the WHO, Chen noted that the idea was first put forward 10 years ago when he was vice minister of foreign affairs.
With Taiwan's efforts over the past 10 years and the importance of including Taiwan in the WHO having been highlighted by the outbreaks of SARS and bird flu, there should be progress this year in promoting the bid, Chen Chien-jen predicted.
Chen said he was thinking about writing his memoirs and releasing a CD that he recorded in the 1990s of him singing Mandarin, Taiwanese and English songs.
Taiwanese could risk being extradited to China when traveling in countries with close ties to Beijing, Taiwan Association of University Professors deputy chairman Chen Li-fu (陳俐甫) said on Friday. Chen’s comments came after China on Friday last week announced new judicial guidelines targeting Taiwanese independence advocates. Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Djibouti are among the countries where Taiwanese could risk being extradited to China, he said. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday elevated the travel alert for China, Hong Kong and Macau to “orange” after Beijing announced its guidelines to “severely punish Taiwanese independence diehards for splitting the country and inciting secession.” Extradition treaties
Taiwan and Thailand have signed an agreement to promote and protect bilateral investment and trade, the Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) said on Friday. The agreement on “Promotion and Protection of Investments” was signed by Representative to Thailand Chang Chun-fu (張俊福) and Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei executive director Narong Boonsatheanwong on Thursday, the OTN said in a news release. Thailand has become the fifth trading partner to sign an investment agreement with Taiwan since 2016, following earlier agreements with the Philippines, India, Vietnam and Canada, the OTN said. The deal marks a significant milestone in the development of
The entire Alishan Forest Railway line is to reopen for the first time in 15 years on Saturday, with tickets to go on sale at 2pm today. The historic railway from Chiayi to Alishan (阿里山) is finally set to reopen after the completion of the final No. 42 tunnel, Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office Deputy Director-General Chou Heng-kai (周恆凱) said. It is to run on a new timetable, with four trains daily, he said. The 9am train is to depart from Chiayi Railway Station bound for Shizilu Station (十字路), while the 10am train departing from Chiayi is to go all the
CROSS-BORDER CRIME: The suspects cannot be charged with cybercrime in Indonesia as their targets were in Malaysia, an Indonesian immigration director said Indonesian immigration authorities have detained 103 Taiwanese after a raid at a villa on Bali, officials said yesterday. They were accused of misusing their visas and residence permits, and are suspected of possible cybercrimes, Safar Muhammad Godam, director of immigration supervision and enforcement at the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights told reporters at a news conference. “The 103 foreign nationals stayed at the villa and conducted suspicious activities, which we suspect are activities related to cybercrime activities,” he said, presenting laptops and routers at the news conference. Godam said Indonesian authorities cannot charge them with conducting cybercrime. “During the inspection, we