Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday that he made a faux pas by saying he intended to scrap a gift presented by visiting British Minister of State for Transport Susan Kramer a day earlier.
“I want to express my apology to Ms Kramer,” Ko said during a news conference.
The mayor added that he often makes inappropriate statements and promised to correct the problem.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
He added that he will soon receive diplomatic etiquette training.
Ko was asked on Monday whether he felt uncomfortable with the gift because of a taboo in Taiwanese and Chinese culture on timepieces as gifts.
After receiving a watch from Kramer, Ko said: “I can just regift it to someone or take it to a scrap metal dealer and sell it for cash.”
Kramer later on Monday issued a statement saying she was sorry and that she “had no idea a gift like this could be seen as anything other than positive.”
Separately yesterday, prior to Ko’s apology, Kramer was asked to comment on Ko’s reaction.
“I am aware that I made a cultural mistake out of lack of knowledge with the gift,” Kramer said.
In the UK, “we say time is precious, so I didn’t understand the implications here in Taiwan,” Kramer said. “Now I have learned something new.”
“It has not in any way impacted the relationship and conversation that we have with the city of Taipei; we look forward very much to constructively working together,” she added.
“Our conversation has been very constructive. We see many opportunities for future collaboration. And I could never be offended by humor,” Kramer said when pressed.
Meanwhile, Ko, who is known for his off-the-cuff remarks, drew criticism from across the political spectrum for his perceived rudeness.
Netizens said that Ko should apologize for the remarks and for embarrassing Taiwan, while Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) lambasted Ko, an independent, on Facebook, saying: “City-to-city diplomacy is critical for Taiwan; as the mayor of the capital, he should have taken greater responsibility.”
Writer Chang Ta-chuen (張大春) said on Facebook that “if Ko wants to withstand the trials during his term as mayor, he should know that what the media want to see is him getting into a fight with someone. He would be tossed away like an old shoe if he is injured or bites the dust.”
Chang added that Ko once said he scored 157 in an IQ test, adding that whether Ko can survive possible potential public relations disasters depends on whether he has the same level of emotional wisdom.
Former minister of transportation and communications Yeh Kuang-shih (葉匡時) said that during the campaign period before the nine-in-one elections last year, he questioned whether Ko’s view of the world and his value system were appropriate for the then-candidate to represent the city to greet overseas guests.
“Unfortunately, it [the incident] has shown that my doubts at that time were valid,” Yeh said. “I hope Ko can learn how to manage city affairs with a down-to-earth manner, rather than affirming his own values by denying those of others.”
‘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
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
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
RSS