Apparently a true veteran of the May 20th 2008 - June 20th 2010 'Foot-in-mouth' outbreak, Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良) didn't dissapoint this week when he made these choice comments on the sidelines of his speech on Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) system at an international conference held by the Washington-based Center for Strategy and International Studies on Friday: (Yaung was omparing national health insurance systems in different countries and mentioned how South Korea transformed its multi-carrier national health insurance system into a single national health insurance system after a group came to Taiwan to visit him and to learn from Taiwan’s example.)
“But South Korean people would never say they copied from Taiwan,” Yaung said.Way to go mending fences. At this rate we'll turn fairly solid friendships with Japan and Korea under the 'provocative' Chen Presidencies into a China-pleasing state of mutual distrust and antagonism.
“It’s just like when [South] Korea also said Confucius was from [South] Korea. I detest(討厭) Korean people.”
(Apparently realizing his blunder, he quickly said): “It would be terrible if this is broadcast.”
Of course, Yaung will
