Alexa
  • Directory of Taiwan

Politicians vs. diplomats

The photo shows Frank Hsieh (right)  and Stanley Kao (left), new holders of the two diplomatic positions as representatives to Japan and the United St...

Opinion: Politicians vs. diplomats

The photo shows Frank Hsieh (right) and Stanley Kao (left), new holders of the two diplomatic positions as representatives to Japan and the United St...

The new holders of the two most important diplomatic positions for Taiwan, Frank Hsieh as representative or ambassador to Japan and Stanley Kao as representative or ambassador to the United States, shows the clear differences in their background, personality, professional career and working experience.
Hsieh and Kao were both born in Taipei City’s Yanping area, and the education they received before their university years was similar, as they were both living under the high-pressure authoritarian rule of the Kuomintang.
However, their careers, work and development after graduation built up two completely different personalities. Hsieh became an attorney, election candidate, mayor, party chairman, vice presidential and presidential candidate for the Democratic Progressive Party. In the new government, there are only few who can boast of a more impressive pedigree. As such, it was only natural that what one could call his excessive self-confidence led him to announce himself which new position he would occupy.
On the contrary, Kao received long-term training as a diplomat, so he had to keep a low profile to fulfill the conditions for a diplomatic career.
In the future, Taiwan will meet repeated hurdles in its foreign relations and diplomacy, so the diplomats working on the frontline will need to be better at keeping a low profile rather than at brimming with self-confidence in order to be more practical and to benefit Taiwan in a more effective way.