Shouldn’t Frank Hsieh Admit Mistakes and Apologize?

  Shouldn’t Frank Hsieh Admit Mistakes and Apologize?

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

September 15, 2018

 Translation of an Excerpt

Frank Hsieh’s assignment as representative to Japan is, without question, an appointment highly political in nature. His job is, of course, intricately connected with the political mission entrusted to him by the DPP government. Plainly speaking, he has to cozy up to Japan with all efforts, realizing the goal of coalescing with Japan to confront China. However, Hsieh has another equally important job, that is, as a basic acknowledgement and profession of a diplomatic envoy, when he faces disaster relief and assistance overseas, the work team under his leadership must do a good job in serving his countrymen and safeguarding their rights and interests in the receiving state.

Typhoon Jebi wreaked havoc on Japan, leading to the closure of Kansai Airport in Osaka owing to flash flooding, stranding a large number of passengers at the airport, among whom many were Taiwan tourists. The subsequent overseas relief, assistance, and service unexpectedly became a new battleground for cross-Strait contrast in mentality and capabilities. Facing questioning and blame from various circles, Frank Hsieh, however, whitewashed and counterattacked with myriad, odd reasons, pushing and shoving responsibilities, and refusing to be circumspect. He committed the mistake of not doing what he should do and could do.

On the other hand, when faced with the Japanese behavior of kicking the bronze statue of a comfort woman in Tainan, he, however, believed that erecting a bronze statue for comfort women would undermine the friendly relations between Taiwan and Japan; this left for him an accusation that he was consistently siding with the Japanese. In addition, he strongly advocated opening up Taiwan’s market for nuclear-contaminated food from Japan, plus the DPP government's posture toward Japan has, in fact, been overly sycophantic, so much so that as long as it is Japan, the government would bend and shrink; this has been the general impression given to the Taiwan society.

In fact, based on Japan's national strategic shift, economic needs, and other pragmatic considerations, the Abe government is actively cozying up and building its relationship with China; this is a trend that the DPP government must see clearly, it cannot just for the purpose of countering China and anti-China self-forfeit the dignity of state with wishful thinking, bending its knees to court Japan, leaving Taiwan’s interests to be endlessly trampled upon and sacrificed. Isn’t this information and analysis which should have been correctly provided to the DPP government? Isn’t this precisely the most fundamental duty and function of Frank Hsieh, who has been dubbed as the elder-authority of "Nippon cognoscenti"? From the expectations of an "envoy to Japan" denigrated to the embarrassment of a representative "helping Japan," if we ask Frank Hsieh to resign now out of charges against him, it would be too much, but considering how he carries out with all his capabilities this most important responsibility, shouldn’t he do deep soul-searching and readjust the steps for a new start?

Attachment : none