APLFD Newsletter 201401
To: All Members
From: APLFD Secretariat
Date: February 25, 2014
Dear Colleagues,
With the coming of a new season, we bring you the following updated League Affairs :
1. New Blood Joins APLFD Leadership
Mr. Hsieh Wen-huang, a former Director of the Office of the Secretary General of the Presidential Office of the ROC (Taiwan), has been appointed as the Deputy Secretary General of the APLFD. Mr. Hsieh assumed his post on February 17.
Mr. Hsieh, born in 1960, received his Master Degree from the International Relations College of the National Chi-Nan University in Taiwan. His association with the APLFD begun in 2011 when he became an Advisor of the APLFD Secretariat. He is now also the Director of the Office of the Secretary General of the Kuomintang (KMT, the Nationalist Party), the ruling party of Taiwan.
Mr. Hsieh has a life-long service in public affairs through his career, first as a Congressional Assistant, then as the Director of the Office of the Deputy Speaker of the Congress. He was also the Secretary General of the League’s ROC Chapter, and Acting Secretary General of the World League for Freedom and Democracy (WLFD).
Through the APLFD and WLFD events in recent years, Mr. Hsieh is known to our members as a capable leader with wisdom and action. It is believed that, in joining the APLFD family, Mr. Hsieh will contribute greatly to the future course of the League.
2. 2014 Conference Held in Taipei
The 2014 APLFD Conference was held at the Grand Hotel in Taipei, Taiwan on January 22-25,2014. The event was held jointly with the 2014 WLFD Conference and the World Freedom Day Celebrations.
APLFD Members attended the conference were: Australia, Guam, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, ROC(Taiwan),Singapore and Vietnam. Cambodia also attended the meeting as an Observer.
An APLFD Executive Committee was held at night on January 22 at the Grand Hotel, during which, Mr. Yao Eng-chi, Chairman of the Host Chapter, was elected as Council Chairman for 2014. Mr. Liou Jieh Jow, the APLFD Secretary General, made a remarks to express his appreciation of Mr. Yao’s leadership.
At the meeting, Mr. Simon Kek-Chay Hu of Singapore, as Chairman of the Membership Committee, delivered an inspiring report on the development of the League affairs, in which, he noted that it was the strong support of our League members that keeps the APLFD moving on and on since 1954.
Before the meeting concluded, Mr. Truong Quang Si, on behalf of the Vietnam Chapter, presented a plaque of recognition to Mr. Yao for the ROC Chapter’s contribution to the League in the past years.
During the 2014 Conference, the guests were honored with a reception hosted by the ROC Foreign Minister, Mr. David Y.L. Lin. They were also received by the ROC Vice President, Mr. Wu Den-yih.
3.Messages From Members
In January, Mr. Flavian Carlos, Chairman of Palau Chapter, informed the Secretariat that Palau is interested in hosting the next round table meeting.And Mr. John Wood,Vice Chairman of New Zealand Chapter visited the Secretariat, bringing in warm greetings from our Kiwi friends. In February, Mr. Truong Quang Si, Chairman of Vietnam Chapter, advised the Secretariat to organize a Cambodia Chapter sooner, to complete the League’s contacts with our ASEAN friends.