Frank Wu (journalist) explained

Frank Wu
Wu Feng-shan
Office1:10th Chairperson of the Straits Exchange Foundation
Term Start1:4 November 2024
President1:Lai Ching-te
Predecessor1:Cheng Wen-tsan
(acting)
Office2:Member of the Control Yuan
Term Start2:1 August 2008
Term End2:31 July 2014
2Blankname2:CY President
2Namedata2:Wang Chien-shien
Nominator2:Ma Ying-jeou
Office3:Minister without Portfolio
Premier3:Su Tseng-chang
Term Start3:16 January 2006
Term End3:21 May 2007
Office4:Member of the National Assembly
Term Start4:1987
Term End4:1993
Term Start5:1973
Term End5:1981
Birth Date:1945 1, df=y
Birth Place:Hokumon, Tainan Prefecture, Taiwan, Empire of Japan (today Beimen, Tainan, Taiwan)
Party:Independent
Education:National Chengchi University (BA)

Frank Wu Feng-shan (; born 24 January 1945) is a Taiwanese journalist and politician. Wu worked for the Independence Evening Post between 1968 and 1994, then led the Public Television Service from 1998 to 2004. He was twice elected to the National Assembly and was a member of the Central Election Commission before serving as a minister without portfolio within the Executive Yuan from 2006 to 2007. Wu sat on the Control Yuan from 2008 to 2014, and was named chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation in 2024.

Media career

Wu worked for the Independence Evening Post from 1968 to 1994, serving successively as chief editor, then president, of the publication.[1] During his tenure with the paper, Wu helped arrange the 1982 visit of Aleksander Solzhenitsyn to Taiwan.[2] Shortly after the end of martial law in Taiwan in 1987, Wu sent Hsu Lu and Lee Yung-te to China. The pair became the first Taiwanese journalists to visit China.[3] Between 1998 and 2004, Wu chaired the Public Television Service,[1] and was succeeded by legal scholar Louis Chen.[4] During the 2004 Taiwanese presidential election, Wu was the moderator for a series of debates between candidates Chen Shui-bian and Lien Chan. These were the first presidential debates in Taiwanese history in which all candidates agreed to participate. During the first free and direct election for president in 1996, incumbent Lee Teng-hui did not partake, and, in 2000, the field of candidates could not agree to debate terms, resulting in a televised series of policy presentations for each set of running mates.[5]

Political career

National Assembly and Executive Yuan

Wu served on the National Assembly from 1973 to 1981, and 1987 to 1993.[1] In 2000, Wu proposed the "three acknowledgements" and "four suggestions" while he was a member of a task force convened to reach a consensus on the One-China policy.[6] Wu was named to a second task force in 2004, convened to advise on the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.[7] Additionally, Wu served on the Central Election Commission during the 2004 election cycle, and resigned the position in April of that year.[8] He then joined the first cabinet led by Su Tseng-chang as a minister without portfolio.[1]

Control Yuan

In 2008, Wu relinquished an Australian visa to accept a nomination to the Control Yuan.[9] While serving on the Control Yuan, Wu led investigations into the construction of an airstrip on Taiping Island,[10] a development project near the Zhaoping railway station,[11] and the selection of Public Television Service board members.[12] He supported a 2009 Control Yuan motion against the Department of Health, after restaurants were found to be using the same cooking oil for a week.[13]

In October 2013, Wu aided a Control Yuan investigation into the September 2013 power struggle, former justice minister Tseng Yung-fu,[14] and prosecutor-general Huang Shih-ming,[15] which also later affected Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office head prosecutor Chen Shou-huang.[16] In January 2014, an impeachment measure against Huang and supported by Wu was split 6–6.[17] [18]

After his six-year tenure ended, Wu was not renominated for a second term.[19]

Straits Exchange Foundation

In October 2024, Wu was appointed chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation.[1] On 4 November 2024, he formally succeeded acting chair, who had served since the resignation of Cheng Wen-tsan in July 2024.[20]

Notes and References

  1. News: Lai . Sunny . MAC selects ex-Control Yuan member as SEF chairman . 19 October 2024 . Central News Agency . 18 October 2024.
  2. News: Han Cheung . Taiwan in Time: Media frenzy over the 'Russian big-beard' . 19 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 13 October 2019.
  3. News: Han Cheung . Taiwan in time: Freedom of the press, China style . 19 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 11 September 2016.
  4. News: Ko . Shu-ling . PTS head choice causes controversy . 19 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 22 October 2004.
  5. News: Han Cheung . Taiwan in Time: The reluctant debaters . 19 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 11 February 2018.
  6. News: Huang . Joyce . Lee says Chen must accept consensus . 19 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 21 November 2000.
  7. News: Lin . Chieh-yu . Cross-strait task force convenes . 19 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 7 May 2004.
  8. News: Yiu . Cody . Election chief sings Korea's praises again . 19 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 3 April 2004.
  9. News: Shih . Hsiu-chuan . Control, Examination yuan nominees reveal status . 19 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 28 June 2014.
  10. News: Shih . Hsiu-chuan . Control Yuan says executive bungled airstrip construction . 20 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 19 December 2008.
  11. News: Loa . Iok-sin . Tsous wary of Alishan project . 20 October 2024 . 19 February 2009.
  12. News: Shih . Hsiu-chuan . PTS controversy 'disgrace to the country': Frank Wu . 20 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 26 June 2012.
  13. News: Control Yuan takes action against DOH . 20 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 3 September 2009.
  14. News: Control Yuan steps up probe into influence cases . 20 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 4 October 2013.
  15. News: Lee . Hsin-fang . Hsu . Stacy . Control Yuan might question president . 20 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 19 October 2013.
  16. News: Head prosecutor to be forced from post . 20 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 21 December 2013.
  17. News: Chen . Ching-min . Hsu . Stacy . Top prosecutor escapes impeachment . 20 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 8 January 2014.
  18. News: Hsu . Stacy . Control Yuan members rue failure to impeach Huang . 20 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 9 January 2014.
  19. News: Chen . Yan-ting . Tseng . Wei-chen . Su . Fun-her . Chang’s Control Yuan bid in doubt . 19 October 2024 . Taipei Times . 15 June 2014.
  20. News: Hsieh . Yi-hsuan . Kao . Evelyn . Frank Wu takes office as SEF chairman . 5 November 2024 . Central News Agency . 4 November 2024.