Shieh Jhy-wey (
A diplomat who worked with Shieh in Germany where he served as Taiwan's representative, told the Taipei Times that Shieh is a person full of fresh ideas.
He is also someone who will immediately carry out an idea when this idea is practical, the official said.
PHOTO: CHEN TSE-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
"Since he first came here in 2005, he has tried hard to click with local people and local culture," the official said. "On one occasion Shieh selected a crowded street corner. Standing there, he began to introduce himself to people in fluent German and tried hard to bring their attention to Taiwan-related issues."
Born in Keelung on Jan. 6, 1955, he earned a bachelor's degree in German Literature from Soochow University in 1977 and a master's degree in German Literature from Fu-jen Catholic University in 1980.
He also obtained a doctorate in German Literature in 1987 from the Ruhr-University in Bochum, Germany.
Shieh's career background has mainly encompassed German education but he has also taken part in politics and the media.
After earning his doctorate in 1987, Shieh stayed in Germany to conduct further research until 1994.
He also taught German part-time at Soochow University and, starting in 1995, he taught German at both Soochow University and Fu-jen University.
Shieh became the director of Soochow University's School of Foreign Languages and Culture in 1996 and stayed in the post until 2002.
In 2003, he was a columnist for the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister paper) and hosted a political talk show on TV.
Shieh began his involvement in Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) campaign activities in the 1990s.
He hosted campaign activities for President Chen Shui-bian (
A second generation Mainlander, Shieh, however, speaks fluent Taiwanese and enjoys speaking it.
Shieh has used his sense of humor to attract young people to become DPP members.
He has even rapped DPP policies. Crowds often burst into laughter at Shieh campaign events.
In 2002, the DPP government approached him and asked him whether he would accept an invitation to be the GIO minister but Shieh turned it down.
Since then Shieh has also been a regular on TV talk shows.
In 2005, he was appointed as the nation's representative to Germany.
Former Berlin mayor Wolfgang Luder told the Central News Agency (CNA) in an interview that Shieh did a good job as Taiwan's representative to Germany.
"His (Shieh) job was difficult but he could always overcome difficulties with his sense of humor and his remarkable fluency in German," Luder was quoted as saying in the interview. "I think it is quite difficult to find another qualified person to succeed Shieh. I hate to see him leave."
People First Party Legislator Chang Hsien-yao (
Before returning to Taipei, Shieh told the CNA in Berlin on Friday that he was quite confident about his new position because what he had been doing in Germany overlaps parts of his new job.
"As a representative here, it is my job to deliver the message to our German friends and continue to introduce Taiwan-related issues to them as well," he was quoted as saying. "I think this overlaps with the GIO minister's job description."
Saying that he has been away from home for two years, Shieh said it is good for him to have a chance to return home.
"I will come back [to Taiwan] with my experience as a diplomat and dedicate myself to the new job," he 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 High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS