Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), the newly appointed de facto ambassador to the US, will play the role of a political buffer between the US and Taiwan to defuse any diplomatic tension during what remains of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) term in office.
Both former American Institute in Taiwan chairman Nat Bellocchi and Heritage Foundation researcher John Tkacik have described the appointment of Wu, who will replace outgoing representative David Lee (李大維), as a "smart choice" by Chen.
Several Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members have heralded Wu's appointment as an achievement for the DPP government. They said that this would finally put an end to taunts from the pan-blue camp that the DPP has no capable members in the field of foreign affairs.
Wu's predecessors Chien-jen (
Wu's uncle, former senior presidential adviser and steadfast pro-independence advocate Wu Li-pei (
"Actually, there are many officials who are qualified for this important office, but there are few who could obtain Wu's level of trust, which makes him the best candidate for this position among the DPP's top brass," said Yu Pen-li (尤本立), a former diplomat who worked in Washington when Cheng served as representative.
Wu, who likes to wear bright ties pinned with a tie bar, is known for his easy smile and sometimes stumbling over his words in his excitement to explain cross-strait policies to reporters or legislators. People who know Wu describe him as cordial and courteous, and say he speaks English fluently.
"I am quite impressed with Wu's humble attitude and his ability to explain cross-strait policies," Yu said.
As head of the Mainland Affairs Council, Wu has visited the US at least twice a year to communicate with officials and think tanks about Taiwan's cross-strait policies. US officials and members of Congress in charge of Asia-Pacific affairs all seem to get along well with Wu.
Wu has been interviewed by several US TV networks while visiting the US, including C-SPAN, a network which televises sessions of Congress.
He is meticulous about what he says, and his eloquence and quick wit has drawn praise from many foreign visitors and local legislators.
"I think Wu will be an excellent buffer to reduce friction between the US and the DPP government," said Hsu Yung-ming (
Hsu said Wu's appointment indicated that the US government accepted the DPP government, which Hsu interpreted as "progress" in bilateral relations.
When visiting the US, Wu told the representative offices there not to bother with the flowers and gifts that they usually prepare for visiting officials, saying it was unnecessary and overelaborate, Hsu said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as