Taiwan's new Mainland Affairs Council chairman fails photo test
Taiwanese lawmakers mock council head for not being able to name Communist Party elite
Taiwan's new top official for cross-strait affairs took his oath of office yesterday, but was immediately attacked by the opposition for failing to identify photos of most of Beijing's top politicians.
Wang Yu-chi, a trusted confidant of President Ma Ying-jeou who served as his spokesman from 2008 to 2010, was criticised in parliament immediately after being sworn in as chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council.
Wang was shown photos of the nine members of the Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee, but could recognise only two.
Among those he failed to identify was the mainland's top lawmaker, Wu Bangguo , and the chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Jia Qinglin - the No2 party leader on Taiwan affairs.
"You cannot even recognise Wu Bangguo," said Tsai Chi-chang of the mainland-sceptic main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). "This could be very dangerous for [mainland ] China ties."
Tsai pressed on, asking if Wang considered himself up to the task and ready for the new job.