Taiwan’s new representative to Spain, Simón S.Y. KO, standing, during the welcome lunch offered for the media./ Photo: Pilar Arcos
Alberto Rubio. Madrid
Maintaining and improving the level of relations with Spain, especially in the trade and cultural fields, is the objective of our new representative of Taipei’s (Taiwan) Office in Spain, Simón S.Y. KO, who replaces Javier Ching-shan.
The Taiwanese diplomat, who has just arrived in Madrid, expressed his satisfaction, during a lunch celebrated with the Spanish media on Friday, because business exchanges between Spain and Taiwan reached 2,000 million dollars last year. He emphasized his hope for those exchanges to consolidate and increase in the stage he starts leading Taipei’s Economic and Cultural Office.
As regards Taiwan’s participation in FITUR, Ko pointed out that this is an important year for tourism in Taiwan, which last year reached its record of 10 million foreign tourists, and that “we are sure we can improve”, he declared. Besides, he expressed his confidence in Spain and Taiwan’s airlines establishing direct flights between Madrid and Taipei as soon as possible.
Ko was convinced that Spain, a country he described as “one of the main actors of the European Union” will be a “unique” destination and a brilliant finishing touch for his professional career.
On the other hand, he affirmed that in 2016, after the recent presidential election, it is “possible to live a new political stage in the island”, although always “maintaining the current status quo and the peaceful relationship” with the continental China.
Simón S.Y. Ko has a broad experience as Taiwan’s representative abroad. He has been in Taiwan’s representations in Panama, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, among others. Before coming to Spain, he was deputy Foreign Minister.
