Hsia Li-yan
Native name夏立言
Office 1Vice Chairman of the Kuomintang
1blankname 1Chairperson
1namedata 1Eric Chu
Alongside 1Huang Min-hui, Sean Lien
Term start 130 October 2021
Predecessor 1Hau Lung-pin, Tseng Yung-chuan
Office 2Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council
Deputy 2Lin Chu-chia, Shih Hui-fen, Wu Mei-hung
Lin Chu-chia, Shih Hui-fen
Term start 216 February 2015
Term end 220 May 2016
Predecessor 2Wang Yu-chi
Successor 2Katharine Chang
Office 3Deputy Minister of National Defense of the Republic of China
Minister 3Yen Ming
Term start 322 October 2013
Term end 3February 2015
Predecessor 3Andrew Yang
Successor 3Chen Yeong-kang
Office 4Taiwanese Representative to Indonesia
Term start 4December 2009[1]
Term end 422 October 2013
Predecessor 4Timothy Yang[2]
Successor 4Chang Liang-jen[3][4]
Office 5Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister 5Francisco Ou
Term start 520 May 2008
Term end 516 September 2009
Successor 5Shen Lyu-hsun[5]
Office 6Taiwanese Representative to India
Term start 6June 2007
Term end 62008
Office 7Taiwanese Representative to the United States
Term start 72001
Term end 7June 2007
Successor 7Kenneth Liao[6]
Office 8Taiwanese Deputy Representative to Canada
Term start 81996
Term end 81998
Birth placeTaipei, Taiwan
EducationFu Jen Catholic University (LLB)
National Chengchi University (MA)
University of Oxford (MLitt)
University College London (LLM)

Hsia Li-yan (; born 24 December 1950), also known by his English name Andrew Hsia, is a Taiwanese lawyer and diplomat who is a vice chairman of the Kuomintang. He was minister of the Mainland Affairs Council from February 2015 to May 2016, and was chairman of the Association of Foreign Relations (AFR) from 2017 to 2022. Since 2023, he continues to serve on the AFR Board as managing supervisor.

Education

Hsia graduated from Fu Jen Catholic University with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) in 1972 and received a Master of Arts (M.A.) in diplomacy from National Chengchi University in 1976. Hsia then pursued graduate studies in England at the University of Oxford, where he earned a Master of Letters (M.Litt.) at the Faculty of Law in international law as a member of New College, Oxford, in 1981. His M.Litt. dissertation, completed under distinguished professors D. P. O'Connell and M. H. Mendelson, was titled, "Some jurisdictional problems arising from ship-source marine pollution: with special reference to port state jurisdiction."[7] He also graduated from University College London with a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in 1981.[8][9]

After completing his LL.M. degree, Hsia was a visiting scholar at the Queen Mary University of London from 1985 to 1988.[9]

Diplomatic career

Representative to the United States

In mid of August 2005, Hsia protested to the United Nations (UN) for naming the People's Republic of China (PRC) as one of the founding member of the UN that signed the United Nations Charter during an exhibition commemorating 60th anniversary of the UN, instead of the Republic of China (ROC). He stressed that in 1945, it was the ROC who was China, since the PRC was only founded in 1949.[10]

Representative to India

After being appointed ROC representative to India in June 2007, Hsia said that he hoped to work on securing India's support for Taiwan's membership in the World Health Organization of the United Nations. He also would focus on trade, tourism and technological exchanges between the two.[11]

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

Hsia resigned from his post in August 2009 after a cable was disclosed by a newspaper stating that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had instructed all of the ROC representative offices around the world to decline all forms of foreign aid in the aftermath of Typhoon Morakot.[12]

Representative to Indonesia

During his term as the ROC representative to Indonesia, Hsia actively promoted bilateral exchanges between Taiwan and Indonesia in the field of trade, culture and education. He was involved in the joint development of Morotai Island of North Maluku province and an industrial park in Jakarta.[13]

2013 Jakarta International Defense Dialogue

Commenting on the barring of the Taiwanese delegation to attend the 3rd Jakarta International Defense Dialogue (JIDD) in Jakarta in March 2013, Hsia said that he was not pleased with the incident since this conference is about regional security and Taiwan is certainly one of the major player. The Taipei Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta demanded an explanation from the Government of Indonesia regarding the incident.

Indonesia, represented by the JIDD organizing committee chairperson, responded by saying that the Ministry of Defense of Indonesia had received a verbal complaint from the Chinese Embassy asking them to discourage the Taiwanese delegates from attending the conference.[14]

Military career

On 22 October 2013, Premier Jiang Yi-huah named Hsia to fill in the position of Deputy Minister of the National Defense, in which Hsia will be tasked to oversee arms procurement policies.[15][16][17]

The position had been vacated for more than 2 months since 1 August 2013 when then-Deputy Minister of National Defense Andrew Yang was promoted to the Minister position after the resignation of then-Minister of National Defense Kao Hua-chu due to the death scandal of army corporal Hung Chung-chiu.

Jiang said that the decision to choose him for this position was made after consultation with President Ma Ying-jeou, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Defense.[12]

Political career

Mainland Affairs Council Minister

On 16 February 2015, he was appointed as the minister of the Mainland Affairs Council.[18]

Vice Chairman of the Kuomintang

As vice chair of the KMT, Hsia visited the People's Republic of China in February and met with Song Tao, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office, and Wang Huning, fourth-ranking member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.[19] During the visit, Wang said that "Taiwan independence is incompatible with peace and runs counter to the well-being of Taiwan compatriots".[19]

In December 2023, Hsia led a KMT delegation to mainland China as a "mission to maintain contacts." The trip came under scrutiny in the run-up to the 2024 elections.[20]

Hsia visited mainland China again in March 2024 to meet Taiwanese business communities. His trip included visits to Chongqing, Chengdu, Jinan, and Qingdao. During the trip he reportedly said that he would "supervise" the Democratic Progressive Party in handling a recent speedboat incident.[21]

References

  1. ^ "Organizations". Taipei Economic and Trade Office, Jakarta, Indonesia. Archived from the original on 2013-11-04. Retrieved 2014-08-23.
  2. ^ "Taiwan Appoints Senior Official as New TETO Chief". The Jakarta Post. 2010-01-12. Archived from the original on 2010-01-24. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  3. ^ Kuo, Shu-fong & Wu, Lilian (2013-11-22). "Taiwan Names New Representative to Indonesia". Focus Taiwan News Channel. Central News Agency. Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  4. ^ Kuo, Shu-fong & Wu, Lilian (2013-11-22). "Taiwan's Names New Representative to Indonesia". Taiwan News Online. Central News Agency. Archived 2013-12-03 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  5. ^ Ko, Shu-ling (2009-09-17). "Andrew Yang Picked as Deputy Defense Minister". Taipei Times. Archived 2013-10-23 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  6. ^ Kulish, Nicholas (2007-06-24). "A Diplomat Reflects on Taiwan's Isolation". The New York Times. Archived 2018-12-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2014-08-23.
  7. ^ "Some jurisdictional problems arising from ship-source marine pollution : with special reference to port state jurisdiction". solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  8. ^ "Minister". Mainland Affairs Council. Archived from the original on 2016-01-27. Retrieved 2016-01-09.
  9. ^ "Who's Who in the ROC". Executive Yuan. p. 384. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  10. ^ "Archive for August 14th, 2005". Mutantfrog Travelogue. Archived from the original on 2008-10-24. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  11. ^ Bhattacharyya, Anirudh (2007-07-19). "Taiwan's 'Representative' Takes up Indian Challenge". IBNLive. Archived from the original on 2014-06-16. Retrieved 2014-08-23.
  12. ^ Shih, Hsiu-chuan (2014-04-14). "Representative to Indonesia Named to MND Deputy Post". Taipei Times. Archived 2018-12-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  13. ^ "New MAC Head Sees 'Great Challenge' Ahead". Focus Taiwan News Channel. Central News Agency. 2015-02-16. Archived 2015-02-16 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
  14. ^ Shih, Hsiu-chuan (2013-03-22). "Taiwan Gets Barred from Jakarta Defense Summit". Taipei Times. Archived 2014-04-23 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  15. ^ "Cabinet Names New Deputy Defense Minister". Focus Taiwan News Channel. Central News Agency. 2013-10-22. Archived 2014-10-06 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  16. ^ "Andrew Hsia Named New Deputy Defense Minister". Kuomintang Official Website. 2013-10-23. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  17. ^ Yeh, Joseph (2013-10-23). "Jakarta Envoy Tapped for Deputy Defense Minister". The China Post. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  18. ^ Hsieh, Chia-chen & Low, Y. F. (2015-02-16). "Deputy Defense Minister Named New MAC Chief". Focus Taiwan News Channel. Central News Agency. Archived from the original on 2015-02-16. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
  19. ^ "China Says It's Ready to Enhance Ties With Taiwan Opposition". Bloomberg News. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  20. ^ Bodeen, Christopher (13 December 2023). "A leader of Taiwan's Nationalist Party visits China as the island's presidential election looms". Seattle Times. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  21. ^ Thomson, Jono (March 19, 2024). "KMT vice chair returns from visiting Taiwanese in China". Taiwan News. Retrieved 14 July 2024.