• Vanessa Shih reportedly sang the ROC national anthem, a move that angered Singapore as it adheres to the "one China" policy
• Vanessa Shih reportedly contacted the opposition party in Singapore, further angering the PAP government
Taiwan's representative to Singapore Vanessa Shih will be transferred back to Taipei
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday announced that Taiwan's representative to Singapore Vanessa Shih will be transferred back to Taipei after serving for three years as the government's top official in the city-state.
Shih's homecoming, however, is part of the routine rotation of positions among ministry personnel and has nothing to do with local media reports claiming that the Singaporean government is unhappy with her performance, MOFA spokesman James Chang said yesterday.
“Any reshuffling of personnel on the part of the ministry is part of routine job rotation, which takes place every two or three years,” Chang said in response to reporters' questions on Shih's position yesterday.
Chang's comments came after a Chinese-language United Evening News (UEN) report yesterday, which stated that Shih was replaced because the Singaporean government has voiced its dissatisfaction concerning “improper conduct” during her tenure.
During a Republic of China (R.O.C.) National Day celebration event last year in the city-state, Shih reportedly sang the R.O.C. national anthem, a move that angered the Singaporean government as it adheres to the “one China” policy, the report said.
Shih also reportedly contacted the opposition party in Singapore, further angering the government of the city-state, the report stated.
Her “improper conduct” is reportedly the reason for a temporary diplomatic shutdown between Taiwan and Singapore.
When asked to comment on the report, Chang said that Shih will be transferred back to the MOFA's headquarters in Taipei in the coming days.
Chang, however, denied speculation that Shih was replaced because she angered Singaporean authorities, saying that the representative had performed well during her three-year tenure in Singapore and that stable bilateral relations will not be affected following Shih's departure.
Shih has successfully pushed for talks on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), known as the Agreement between Singapore and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu on Economic Partnership (ASTEP), Chang noted.
The spokesman said Shih's replacement has not yet been decided, but an official announcement is expected to be released soon.
Shih to be Replaced by Someone With Financial Background: Reports
According to local media reports, Shih's successor could be someone with a financial background in order to speed up the ASTEP talks.
Meanwhile, the UEN report yesterday quoted Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang as saying that Shih was summoned back to Taipei on a classified mission that cannot revealed to the public.
The ruling administration is still mulling her replacement, and her replacement has to be approved by Singaporean authorities, Yang said in the report.
