I am a little embarrassed to say that it has been a long time since I had anything good to say about President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), and now that I do have something good to say, I can hardly make any “retrospective adjustments.”
However, regarding the issue of the “dress code” of Amanda Liu (劉宥彤), chief executive officer of the Hon Hai Precision Industry Co-affiliated Yonglin Foundation, I must give Tsai the thumbs-up for supporting natural, comfortable attire, and for her tolerant attitude.
On June 18, Tsai hosted an urgent meeting with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co chairman Mark Liu (劉德音), Hon Hai founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) and Amanda Liu to discuss their COVID-19 vaccine procurement bids.
After the meeting, writer Ellen Huang (黃越綏) questioned why Amanda Liu had chosen to wear a polo shirt and jeans to a meeting with the president, saying that people would find it “unacceptable.”
Amanda Liu, for her part, responded straightforwardly by accepting the criticism, apologizing to Tsai and saying that she would reflect on what she had done.
Frankly speaking, compared with obtaining vaccines, what people wear is a less serious issue at this critical point in time.
As Presidential Office spokesperson Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said: “We are aware of various people’s comments regarding the way CEO Liu was dressed on that day, but as far as the president is concerned, people are free to dress as they please. She does not feel disrespected and does not think that anyone needs to apologize.”
Indeed, the most important thing for the government and the public is to work in unison to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was nice to see such a down-to-earth and people-friendly exchange. On the one hand, Amanda Liu made a prompt and sincere apology, while on the other, instead of scolding her in an officious manner, the Presidential Office spoke up for her by saying that people are free to dress as they please.
On this occasion, Tsai handled the situation really well.
Hu Wen-chi is a former spokesman for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
Translated by Julian Clegg
Could Asia be on the verge of a new wave of nuclear proliferation? A look back at the early history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which recently celebrated its 75th anniversary, illuminates some reasons for concern in the Indo-Pacific today. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin recently described NATO as “the most powerful and successful alliance in history,” but the organization’s early years were not without challenges. At its inception, the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty marked a sea change in American strategic thinking. The United States had been intent on withdrawing from Europe in the years following
My wife and I spent the week in the interior of Taiwan where Shuyuan spent her childhood. In that town there is a street that functions as an open farmer’s market. Walk along that street, as Shuyuan did yesterday, and it is next to impossible to come home empty-handed. Some mangoes that looked vaguely like others we had seen around here ended up on our table. Shuyuan told how she had bought them from a little old farmer woman from the countryside who said the mangoes were from a very old tree she had on her property. The big surprise
The issue of China’s overcapacity has drawn greater global attention recently, with US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen urging Beijing to address its excess production in key industries during her visit to China last week. Meanwhile in Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week said that Europe must have a tough talk with China on its perceived overcapacity and unfair trade practices. The remarks by Yellen and Von der Leyen come as China’s economy is undergoing a painful transition. Beijing is trying to steer the world’s second-largest economy out of a COVID-19 slump, the property crisis and
As former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrapped up his visit to the People’s Republic of China, he received his share of attention. Certainly, the trip must be seen within the full context of Ma’s life, that is, his eight-year presidency, the Sunflower movement and his failed Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, as well as his eight years as Taipei mayor with its posturing, accusations of money laundering, and ups and downs. Through all that, basic questions stand out: “What drives Ma? What is his end game?” Having observed and commented on Ma for decades, it is all ironically reminiscent of former US president Harry