The Ministry of Foreign Affairs March 13 expressed deep grief over the passing of Chiou Chwei-liang, a former national policy adviser to the president, earlier in the day in Brisbane.
Following the instructions of President Tsai Ing-wen, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia stands ready to offer assistance to Chiou’s family, the MOFA said. Taiwan’s Representative Elliott Charng expressed his condolences while conveying the government’s appreciation for Chiou’s contribution to the country, the ministry added.
Born in Miaoli County in northern Taiwan in 1938, Chiou graduated from National Taiwan University’s Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures before obtaining his doctorate in politics from the University of California, Riverside in 1971.
According to the MOFA, Chiou was an internationally renowned academic in the field of political science who spent more than four decades teaching political science at the University of Queensland.
As a staunch supporter of Taiwan and its democratic development, Chiou often spoke for the country at international seminars, the ministry said, adding that he was also a highly respected community leader who played a central role in assisting TECO’s diplomacy work in Australia.
The scholar was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2003 by the Australian government for his academic achievements and contributions in promoting Taiwan-Australia ties, the MOFA said. (SFC-E)
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