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041005
MDHIAN 243.3
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, AND A FORMER PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING AND DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AT TAMKANG UNIVERSITY) WOULD SUIT HIM IDEALLY FOR THE LONDON APPOINTMENT INASMUCH AS TAIWAN IS SEEKING TO BUILD UP ITS RELATIONS WITH THE UK IN TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY. MOREOVER, HE WAS THE HEAD OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) FROM 1987 UNTIL 1991, BEFORE BECOMING A MINISTER, WHICH IS ALSO SEEN AS A VALUABLE QUALIFICATION.
4. TAI SAID THAT CHIEN'S APPOINTMENT WOULD REDUCE THE POLITICAL STING IN THE RELATIONSHIP AND ALLOW BOTH SIDES TO TAKE IMPORTANT STEPS FORWARD IN PROMOTING TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND INDUSTRIAL COLLABORATION. HE HOPED THAT WE WOULD REACT POSITIVELY, ALBEIT IN AN ENTIRELY INFORMAL MANNER, IN WELCOMING THE APPOINTMENT WHICH IS AN INDICATION OF THE IMPORTANCE WHICH HIS GOVERNMENT ATTACHES TO THE DEVELOPING UK RELATIONSHIP, AND A RECOGNITION THAT BY PUTTING A NON-DIPLOMAT INTO THE POST, BUT SOMEONE OF HIGH RANK, THIS WOULD CAUSE LESS PROBLEMS FOR US IN PEKING.
5. TAI ADDED THAT HIS OWN APPOINTMENT, AND THAT OF SEVERAL YOUNGER MEN, TO THE LIEN ADMINISTRATION WAS AN INDICATION OF THE NEW APPROACH BEING TAKEN BY THE NEW GOVERNMENT, AS WELL AS BY PRESIDENT LEE, TO EXTERNAL RELATIONS, WHICH HAD THE DOUBLE OBJECTION OF SEEKING AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION TO THE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA, WHILST ADVANCING TAIWAN'S POSITION IN THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE. HE SAID HIS IMPRESSION WAS THAT HE HAD BEEN CHOSEN FOR THE POST IN THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE BECAUSE OF HIS EXPERIENCE IN LONDON AND THE UNIQUE VIEW, AT LEAST WITHIN THE TAIWANESE GOVERNMENT, HE HAD DEVELOPED OF THE UK/CHINA/HONG KONG/TAIWAN RELATIONSHIP. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD WELCOME IT IF DURING HIS CURRENT BRIEF STAY IN HONG KONG (MY TELN03 TO HONG KONG) HE COULD HAVE AN INFORMAL CONTACT (PERHAPS OVER A MEAL) WITH SOMEONE APPROPRIATE IN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. IN THIS CASE, CONTACT SHOULD BE MADE VIA JOHN NI, TAIWAN TRAVEL SERVICE.
6. COMMENT
EUGENE CHIEN'S APPOINTMENT IS VERY MUCH TO BE WELCOMED. AGED 47, HE HAS A GOOD REPUTATION AS AN ADMINISTRATOR, BUT GAVE UP HIS MINISTERIAL POST IN THE RECENT RESHUFFLE AS A RESULT OF VARIOUS ACCUSATIONS AGAINST HIM, WHICH, ALTHOUGH NOT PROVEN, APPARENTLY WERE DESIGNED TO UNDERMINE HIS USEFULNESS IN A VITAL POST. HIS EXPERIENCE AS THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS, AND PRIOR TO THAT AT THE EPA, SHOULD MAKE HIM A VALUABLE INTERLOCUTOR OVER THE WHOLE RANGE OF SIX-YEAR PLAN INFRASTRUCTURE
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