Edgar Lin

Edgar Lin Chun-yi (Chinese: 林俊義; born 23 July 1938) is a Taiwanese biologist, environmentalist, diplomat and politician.

Edgar Lin Chun-yi
林俊義
Director of the Coordination Council for North American Affairs
In office
17 August 2007 – 20 May 2008
Preceded byLin Fang-mei
Succeeded byChu Wen-hsiang (acting)
Shao Yu-ming
ROC Representative to the United Kingdom
In office
December 2004 – August 2007
Preceded byTien Hung-mao
Succeeded byKatharine Chang
ROC Ambassador to Gambia
In office
August 2001 – December 2004
Succeeded byPatrick Chang[1]
Minister of the Environmental Protection Administration
In office
20 May 2000 – 6 March 2001
Preceded byTsai Hsun-hsiung
Succeeded byHau Lung-pin
Head of the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection
In office
17 October 1995 – 9 August 1997
Preceded byChen Chin-yang
Succeeded byLiu Shyh-fang
Member of the National Assembly
In office
1 February 1992 – 31 January 1996
Personal details
Born (1938-07-23) 23 July 1938
Taihoku, Taihoku Prefecture, Taiwan, Empire of Japan
NationalityTaiwanese
Political partyDemocratic Progressive Party
OccupationPolitician and diplomat
ProfessionEnvironmentalist

Early life and career

Lin studied English at National Taiwan University and earned a Ph.D in ecology from the University of Indiana. He remained in the United States for a time, working as a research fellow for the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology.[2]

After his return to Taiwan, Lin taught at Tunghai University.[2][3] Lin began participating in Taiwan's environmental movement in the 1980s. He became known as a "godfather" of the cause and was a noted anti-nuclear activist, later serving Greenpeace Taiwan as its president.[4][5]

Political career

Lin ran in the 1989 legislative election for a Legislative Yuan seat in Taichung. His unsuccessful campaign was backed by the Democratic Progressive Party.[6] He was elected to the National Assembly in 1992. The National Assembly voted to block a set of reform proposals after its convocation. Alongside fellow DPP members Huang Hsin-chieh and Chen Yung-hsing, Lin walked out of the assembly on 4 May 1992, criticizing the body for procedural violations.[7] In September 1993, Lin accepted the DPP nomination as its candidate for the Taichung mayoralty.[8] Lin lost to Lin Po-jung, who secured a second consecutive term.

Lin led Taipei's Bureau of Environmental Protection while Chen Shui-bian was mayor.[2] Chen was elected president in 2000, and Lin was appointed minister of the Environmental Protection Administration by Premier Tang Fei in April, taking office with the rest of the cabinet on 20 May.[2] Shortly after joining the EPA, Lin renounced his opposition to nuclear energy, stating that he had held that stance largely to combat totalitarianism.[9] In October, Lin made his first trip to the United States in an official capacity and became the first EPA executive to include environmentalists as part of his contingent abroad.[4] The Amorgos oil spill occurred in January 2001, and the Executive Yuan was criticized for its delayed response.[10][11] Subsequently, Lin resigned his position in March.[12]

In August of that year, Lin was named ambassador to The Gambia.[13] He served until December 2004, when he was sworn in as Taiwan's representative to the United Kingdom.[14] His first trip in the UK took place the next month.[3] While in the UK, Lin has spoken out against the One China principle, Anti-Secession Law, and one country, two systems.[15][16] Instead, Lin proposed that the European Union pass its own version of the United States' Taiwan Relations Act.[17]

gollark: I see.
gollark: That sounds intensely annoying.
gollark: Not all traditions repeat like that. I think some end up fading based on longer-term cultural trends or technological stuff.
gollark: It's an evolutionary system. Randomness happens.
gollark: As such, it is in fact *your* king which is in the "check mate" state.

References
  1. "New Taiwanese ambassador presents credintials". Office of the President of The Gambia. 27 January 2005. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  2. Jou, Ying-Cheng (30 April 2000). "Tang Fei returns to the political fray". Taipei Times. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  3. "New envoy arrives in UK". Taipei Times. 9 January 2005. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  4. Chiu, Yu-Tzu (23 October 2000). "EPA meets with US counterpart in Hawaii". Taipei Times. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  5. Chiu, Yu-tzu (1 May 2000). "Greens uneasy over Lin joining the official fold". Taipei Times. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  6. "Legislative Yuan still not fully representative" (PDF). Taiwan Comminqué (41): 10. September 1989. ISSN 1027-3999.
  7. "The DPP and Independents walk out" (PDF). Taiwan Comminqué (55): 9. June 1992. ISSN 1027-3999.
  8. "The Candidates" (PDF). Taiwan Comminqué (59): 14. September 1993. ISSN 1027-3999.
  9. Chiu, Yu-Tzu (26 May 2000). "`Father of anti-nuclear activists' singing a new tune". Taipei Times. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  10. Shan, Shelley (13 December 2006). "EPA wants ship's wreckage removed by April next year". Taipei Times. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  11. Low, Stephanie (1 March 2001). "Premier rejects minister's offer to resign over spill". Taipei Times. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  12. Huang, Joyce (6 March 2001). "Four new Cabinet officials appointed". Taipei Times. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  13. "Lin Chun-yi appointed new ambassador to the Gambia". Taipei Times. 4 August 2001. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  14. Chen, Melody (20 December 2004). "Edgar Lin `pursuing a colorful life'". Taipei Times. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  15. "Taiwan's envoy to the UK blames `one China' idea". Taipei Times. 11 March 2005. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  16. "Taiwan diplomat shuns unification with China". Taipei Times. 18 March 2007. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  17. Huang, Jewel (1 June 2007). "Europe should make its own TRA, says top official to Britain". Taipei Times. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
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