Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) / CNA file photo
Taipei, Dec. 10 (CNA) Taiwan's quasi governmental organization handling affairs with mainland China, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), expressed deep condolences for the death of its former chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) on Monday, and issued a statement highlighting his achievements.
The semi-official organization, whose role is to handle technical and business matters with China, said all of its staff were in mourning over Chiang's passing and described him as a kind elder who showed concern for the health and family life of his colleagues.
With regards to Chiang's funeral matters, the SEF will keep in contact with his family to provide assistance, it said.
Stepping up as SEF chairman on May 26, 2008, Chiang immediately went to Beijing in June that year to conduct talks with its counterpart in China, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), the SEF noted.
During his four years as chairman, Chiang took part in eight meetings with ARATS and signed 18 agreements, the SEF said.
Also during Chiang's tenure, a total of 47 delegations from both sides conducted exchanges and over 1,000 delegations of visitors from China and other parts of the world were received by SEF.
In the same period of time, the SEF assisted in over 10,000 cases of cross-strait personal safety and economic disputes and over 840,000 cases of document inspection and verification, which included inspecting and certifying notarized documents from China, and forwarding copies of notarized documents from Taiwan's missions abroad to China and vice versa.
Chiang was also a part of the planning and construction of the current SEF building in Taipei in 2010, which gave his colleagues a stable work environment and provided a good place for providing quality service to the public, the SEF said.
Incumbent SEF Chairwoman Chang Hsiao-yueh (張小月) said during an interview CNA that she had just been to the hospital to visit Chiang earlier in the day before learning about his death.
She said that the SEF will provide assistance as long as there is a need by Chiang's family.
Mackay Memorial Hospital released a statement confirming Chiang's death on Monday due to multiple organ failure. He was rushed to hospital on Saturday.
After undergoing emergency treatment for aortic dissection, Chiang was admitted to the hospital's intensive care unit, where he died.
(By Miao Zhong-han and William Yen)
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