Taiwan's former Foreign Minister Chen Chien-jen dies at 86

Taipei, Sept. 27 (CNA) Chen Chien-jen (程建人), who served as Taiwan's foreign minister from 1999 to 2000, has died at the age of 86, a source confirmed on Saturday.

The source, who requested anonymity, said Chen passed away at 10 p.m. Friday. No further details were provided.

The late diplomat was born in Shanghai in 1939. He moved to Taiwan as a child and graduated from the Department of Diplomacy at National Chengchi University in 1960. He later pursued advanced studies at the University of Cambridge.

In 1967, Chen joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and held various diplomatic posts throughout his career, including serving as first secretary in the political section of Taiwan's embassy in Washington.

During former U.S. President Jimmy Carter's time in office, when the United States severed diplomatic ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan), Chen frequently accompanied then-Vice Foreign Minister Yang Hsi-kun (楊西崑) to negotiations at the U.S. State Department. He later recalled that it was the "coldest winter" he had ever experienced during his years in Washington.

After his time in the diplomatic service, Chen served as a lawmaker from 1993 to 1996. In the following years, he subsequently served as minister of the now-defunct Government Information Office and Taiwan's representative to the U.S. from 2000 to 2004.

Even after retirement, Chen frequently gave media interviews, reflecting on Taiwan-U.S. relations and offering commentary on the country's foreign policy decisions.