Shen Lyu-shun (沈呂巡), Taiwan’s newly appointed representative to the US, said he is eager to promote and strengthen bilateral ties by pursuing mutual interests and working with “old friends” in the US Congress.
Shen currently serves as Taiwan’s representative to Great Britain and is set to take up his new post in Washington next month.
As a diplomat, Shen said his top priority is Taiwan’s interests and he will ensure the US government understands that ties with the nation are beneficial to both countries, citing President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) interest in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a proposed free-trade bloc, as an example.
While there are outstanding issues between the two, such as disagreements over US beef imports, Shen is confident that there will be room for improving relations, as long as both sides can see a bigger, mutually beneficial goal.
In the interview on Friday, Shen also spoke of his ties with US lawmakers.
As a former vice foreign minister and deputy representative to the US, Shen said he has some “old friends” still serving in Congress and others who have passed the baton to the next generation, such as US Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, daughter of former senator and long-time Taiwan supporter Frank Murkowski.
He also named US Representative John Sarbanes from Maryland, son of former Senator Paul Sarbanes, adding that several members of Congress have visited Taiwan or been stationed in the nation in the past, which he believes will be helpful to his diplomatic tasks.
Shen is to travel to Washington from London on April 1.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Office said on Friday that Shen’s predecessor, King Pu-tsung (金溥聰), who has been appointed by Ma as the chief adviser on national security affairs, will formally assume the post on March 25.
Additional reporting by Peng Hsien-chun
Several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) officials including Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) are to be summoned for questioning and then transferred to prosecutors for holding an illegal assembly in Taipei last night, the Taipei Police said today. Chu and two others hosted an illegal assembly and are to be requested to explain their actions, the Taipei City Police Department's Zhongzheng (中正) First Precinct said, referring to a protest held after Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹), KMT Taipei's chapter director, and several other KMT staffers were questioned for alleged signature forgery in recall petitions against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators. Taipei prosecutors had filed
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
NEW WORLD: Taiwan is pursuing innovative approaches to international relations through economics, trade and values-based diplomacy, the foreign minister said Taiwan would implement a “three-chain strategy” that promotes democratic values in response to US tariffs, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said. Taiwan would aim to create a “global democratic value chain,” seek to capitalize on its position within the first island chain and promote a “non-red supply chain,” Lin was quoted as saying in the ministry’s written report to the Legislative Yuan submitted ahead of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee meeting slated for today. The Ministry would also uphold a spirit of mutual beneficial collaboration, maintaining close communication and consultations with Washington to show that Taiwan-US cooperation