Taiwan foreign minister honors diplomat who died on the job in India

Taipei, Jan. 13 (CNA) Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) has commended Taiwan's late deputy representative to India Hsieh Bor-huei (謝柏輝), who passed away on Dec. 12 in New Delhi after losing consciousness during a public event. Hsieh was 52.

During a visit to Hsieh's family in Tainan on Monday, Lin gave Hsieh's father three medals to honor his son -- the Exemplary Medal, for public servants who perform outstandingly; a Professional Medal of diplomacy; and a Second Grade Service Medal, given to public servants who have served in government for more than 20 years.

Lin said the commendations honored the late diplomat's decades-long service to Taiwan and its diplomatic mission.

• Taiwan's deputy representative to India dies during event

Better known as Robert, Hsieh felt nauseous before going into a seizure while hosting an event in New Delhi on Dec. 12 to congratulate the cast and crew of "Demon Hunters" (叫我驅魔男神), a movie made jointly by Taiwan and India.

Hsieh later died at a hospital after efforts to save him were unsuccessful.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and Hsieh's family have not disclosed the cause of death, citing privacy reasons.

In a separate Facebook post, Lin praised Hsieh as an outstanding and professional diplomat who served twice in Vietnam, was a former deputy chief of MOFA's Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and once headed the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association.

He was fluent in English, Vietnamese and Japanese, and was studying Hindi before his untimely passing.

Lin said Hsieh's father proudly told him that Hsieh also played piano and put on a good show during the country's National Day celebrations held in New Dehli in October.

Hsieh played an important role in facilitating Taiwan's opening of a Mumbai office in late 2024, according to Lin.

Despite his passing, Hsieh will always be remembered, Lin said in his post.