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David Lee (Taiwanese politician)

Lee Ta-wei (; born 15 October 1949), also known by his English name David Lee, is a Taiwanese politician and diplomat who is the chairman of Straits Exchange Foundation May to August 2020 and from January 2023 to May 2024. He formerly served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from May 2016 to February 2018, Secretary-General of the National Security Council of Taiwan from February 2018 to May 2020, and the Secretary-General to the President since 3 August 2020 to 31 January 2023.

Education

Lee graduated from National Taiwan University with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in political science in 1973, then completed graduate studies in the United States at the University of Virginia, where he earned his Master of Arts (M.A.) in foreign affairs in 1981 and his Ph.D. in foreign affairs in 1987. His doctoral dissertation was titled, "The Making of the Taiwan Relation Act: Twenty Years in Retrospect".

Career timeline

  • 2007–2012 representative, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada
  • 2004–2007 representative, Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States
  • 2001–2004 representative, Taipei Representative Office in Belgium, also responsible for the European Union and Luxembourg
  • 1998–2001 deputy minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan)
  • 2000–2001 adjunct professor, National Taiwan University
  • 1997–1998 director-general, Government Information Office, Executive Yuan, and Government Spokesman (Cabinet rank), ROC
  • 1996 director-general, Department of North American Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC
  • 1993–1996 associate in Research, Fairbank Centre for East Asian Research, Harvard University
  • 1993–1996 director-general, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston
  • 1990–1993 deputy director-general, Department of International Information Service, Government Information Office, Executive Yuan
  • 1988–1993 adjunct associate professor, National Taiwan Normal University
  • 1988–1989 principal assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1982–1988 staff consultant, Coordination Council for North American Affairs, Office in Washington, D.C.
  • 1976–1977 managing editor, Asia and the World Forum, Taipei, Taiwan

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Taiwan membership at the United Nations

Speaking in August 2016, Lee said that Taiwan will continue to pursue meaningful participation in the United Nations (UN) agencies. However, he will not promote Taiwan to apply for UN membership.

ROC diplomatic allies visits

During his ministerial term, Lee visited Palau to attend the inauguration of President Tommy Remengesau in January 2017, Haiti to attend the inauguration of President Jovenel Moïse in February 2017 and Solomon Islands in June 2017.

Secretary General to the President

Confidentiality breach on the Special Force soldier letter

On 11 March 2022, a soldier wrote a letter to President Tsai Ing-wen reporting the insufficient basic logistic supply which has compelled the combatants to purchase from outsider suppliers at their own expense for two years, then being disqualified as non-standard upon inspection, in contrast of the reserve trainees receiving new sets; and appealed to abolish the mandatory diary writing for examination. The classified "2022006470" paper was taken photo illegally from the presidential palace and leaked to the media with his identity exposed on 18 March; hence Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng reacted: "I will not let him get away with it", "Fix the crying baby!"; but later clarified while being questioned by the parliament members in the Legislative Yuan, that he just disgusts the coward behavior behind his back, and the critique unfair to the preparatory staff. The incident raised the broad society concern on the standard operating procedure practice on the data security breach in the presidential office.

Publications

  • The Making of the Taiwan Relations Act: Twenty Years in Retropect. Oxford University Press, 2000
  • Taiwan in a Transformed World. (co-edited with Robert L. Pfaltzgraff, Jr.) Brassey's Inc., 1995
  • The Legislative Process of the Taiwan Relations Act. Taipei, Feng Yuen Publication, 1988

See also

References