Former Foreign Minister Yang Chin-tien passes away at 83

Former Foreign Minister Yang Chin-tien has passed away at the age of 83, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced. Yang, whose diplomatic career spanned several continents, served as the first representative to Ireland, where he successfully established a representative office despite pressure from the Chinese Communist Party. During his tenure as foreign minister, he achieved the milestone of securing visa-free entry for Taiwan in 100 countries. After retiring from public office, he continued to dedicate himself to diplomatic research. MOFA issued a press release stating that Yang passed away on the 24th. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung expressed his sincere condolences to Yang's family on behalf of the ministry. Yang was an outstanding senior diplomat who worked diligently to deepen diplomatic ties, strengthen economic and trade cooperation, and secure visa-free status. Born on July 1, 1942, in Ershui, Changhua, Yang graduated from the Department of Diplomacy at National Chengchi University and studied international relations at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. He passed the diplomatic examination with the highest honors and served in Lesotho, Ireland, Houston, Australia, and Indonesia. He was appointed foreign minister by President Ma Ying-jeou in September 2009 and became Secretary-General to the President in September 2012. During his time in Ireland, he faced significant pressure from the CCP, which prohibited the use of "Republic of China" or "Taiwan" in the office name. After much struggle, he eventually secured the name "Taipei Economic and Cultural Office" in May 1991. In his memoir, "Never-ending Daylight," he reflected on the three years of hardship in Ireland and the significance of receiving a farewell party from the Irish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As foreign minister, he set the goal of achieving visa-free status in 100 countries for the centenary of the Republic of China. He led negotiations with the EU, holding over 150 meetings. Yang referred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the "Ministry on which the sun never sets" due to its global operations across time zones. While the 100-country goal was a major achievement, he expressed regret that visa-free status from the U.S. had not yet been secured at the time. He resigned as Secretary-General to the President in February 2015 and became Vice Chairman of the National Policy Foundation. He published his memoir in January this year.