TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) held a joint meeting of board members and supervisors on Monday (Nov. 4) officially electing Frank Wu (吳豊山) as chair.
The SEF is a semi-official organization established in 1991 to handle technical matters and business affairs with Beijing, coordinating with China's Association for Relations Across Taiwan Straits (ARATS), per CNA.
Wu said he would like to extend goodwill in cross-strait relations after assuming his new role. Wu hoped ARATS would share the same sentiment in promoting improved bilateral ties.
“Cross-strait affairs are complicated and comprise a major portion of government policy, including military affairs,” Wu said.
According to Wu, “cross-strait policies of successive presidents have been different, but the defense of Taiwan and safeguarding the sovereignty and independence of Taiwan remain unchanged.”
Wu claimed that Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) has called for peaceful development across the Taiwan Strait. He said this indicates the leadership of Taiwan and China support common prosperity. Wu suggested ARATS follow the same vision and “bid farewell to the darkness and welcome a bright future."
As a founding SEF board member, Wu has spent 20–30 years working on cross-strait affairs. "President Lai invited me to the SEF, and I initially hesitated, but I finally agreed because I was aware that, as a member of the public, I had no right to act as a deserter when my country needed me."
Wu is taking over duties from acting SEF Chair Rock Hsu (許勝雄), who stepped in for three months when former SEF Chair Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) resigned in July after being charged over corruption related to his tenure as Taoyuan mayor.
"Nothing is trivial in cross-strait relations because the two sides are very complex and sensitive, and the work is not easy. The SEF will be on the front line and will do its best to carry out the work entrusted by the government," said Hsu.
Hsu thanked board members and supervisors for their help during his brief tenure and urged them to support and assist Wu.
Wu comes to the role after serving as the editor-in-chief and president of the Independence Evening Post for 18 years. He was also elected to the National Assembly for two terms, served as Public Television Service (PTS) chair, was a Minister Without Portfolio (2006-2007) in the Cabinet, and was a member of the Control Yuan (2008-2014).