Stephen S. F. Chen

Background

Stephen S. F. Chen was born on February 11, 1934, in Nanking, Kiangsu, China, to a family with roots in Hunan. During the Sino-Japanese War, his family followed the Nationalist government to Chongqing, returning to Nanjing after the Second World War. The Chinese Civil War later led him to Manila, where he lived with his elder sister's family.

In Manila, Chen attended Chiang Kai Shek High School, now Chiang Kai Shek College. The school served the Chinese community in the Philippines, where Chinese-language and English-language education developed alongside the country's postwar political and commercial ties with the Chinese Nationalist government. Chen's early movement between mainland China and the Philippines formed the geographic background to his later diplomatic career.

Education

Chen attended Chiang Kai Shek High School in Manila before studying at the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas. Santo Tomas, founded in Manila in 1611, is one of Asia's oldest universities and developed a broad Catholic higher-education tradition. Chen received a Bachelor of Arts in 1957 and a Master of Arts in political science in 1959.

His graduate education in political science preceded his entry into the Republic of China's foreign service in 1960. His later professional teaching in international affairs and translation extended the relationship between diplomatic practice, political analysis, and language education.

Career

Chen entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China in 1960 after earlier employment at the Republic of China's embassy in the Philippines. He served in Latin America, including assignments at the embassy in Rio de Janeiro and diplomatic work connected with Argentina and Bolivia. These posts placed him within the ROC's Cold War diplomatic effort to maintain relations and represent its interests abroad.

Chen became consul general in Atlanta in 1973 and held the post until 1979. The appointment ended during the transformation of United States–ROC relations: in 1979, Washington recognized the People's Republic of China, while the ROC continued its American representation through nongovernmental offices. Chen subsequently directed ROC representative offices in Chicago from 1980 to 1982 and Los Angeles from 1988 to 1989.

In Taiwan, Chen held senior positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including director-level responsibilities in the Latin American, treaty and legal, and international-organization areas, and became vice minister in 1993. From July 16, 1996, to October 16, 1997, he served as deputy secretary-general to President Lee Teng-hui. He then became the ROC representative to the United States and director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington, D.C., serving from 1997 to 2000. The office functioned as Taiwan's de facto diplomatic representation in the United States after formal diplomatic relations ended.

After retiring from the diplomatic service, Chen worked in policy research and higher education. He served as a policy adviser and national-security convenor at the National Policy Foundation and taught or lectured in American studies, translation, international organizations, and related subjects at institutions in Taiwan. His later public work included lectures and commentary on ROC diplomacy, cross-Strait relations, and translation.

Achievements

• Chen completed a forty-seven-year career in the diplomatic service of the Republic of China, representing its interests in Latin America and the United States and holding senior positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidential Office.

• As ROC representative in Washington from 1997 to 2000, Chen led Taiwan's principal unofficial diplomatic office in the United States during the post-1979 period of nonrecognition.

• Chen contributed to professional education in translation and international affairs through teaching, lectures, and published discussions of Chinese-English language use.

Works

• book

  • 翻譯，愈推敲，愈有趣

    (A book on Chinese-English translation, word usage, etymol...)

    2003
  • 外交官的翻譯故事書

    (A collection of short essays explaining Chinese and Engli...)

    2007
  • 精準之美：外交官談翻譯

    (A work on translation precision and the practical princip...)

    2011

  • 咬文嚼字話翻譯

    (A collection on translation and language usage developed ...)

    1998

Views

Chen's writings on translation emphasize precision, contextual meaning, and the cultural knowledge required to move accurately between languages. His public commentary on cross-Strait affairs has defended the Republic of China's democratic system and argued that political freedom and social openness would eventually exert pressure for institutional change in mainland China.

Personality

Chen's published and professional work presents him as attentive to linguistic precision and careful textual usage. He described translation as a field requiring close attention to meaning, cultural context, and the differences between Chinese and Western languages.

Quotes from others about the person

• United States Senate Concurrent Resolution 121 described Chen as a diplomat who had represented Taiwan in several countries, held senior government positions, and earned the respect and affection of members of Congress during his service in Washington.

Interests

• Translation, language usage, international affairs, and cross-cultural communication.

Connections

Chen is married to Rosa Te Chen. His diplomatic service involved extended professional representation of the Republic of China in the Philippines, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, and the United States.

Spouse:

Rosa Te Chen

References

• S. Con. Res. 121, 106th Congress United States Senate and House of Representatives resolution recognizing Chen's forty-seven years in Taiwan's diplomatic service, his assignments in Latin America and the United States, and his retirement as representative in Washington.
  2000
• Congressional Record: Extensions of Remarks concerning Stephen Chen A contemporary congressional account of Chen's background, diplomatic assignments, service as consul general in Atlanta, and work representing Taiwan in Washington.
  2000
• 陳錫蕃代表訪談記錄 Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs interview documenting Chen's diplomatic experience and views on cross-Strait relations, political freedom, and foreign affairs.
  2002
• 翻譯，愈推敲，愈有趣 Publisher's page documenting Chen's authorship, multilingual background, diplomatic career, and approach to translation and language usage.
  2003
• 講者介紹：陳錫蕃大使 National Chengchi University humanities center profile describing Chen's birth in Nanjing, education, diplomatic service, policy work, and teaching appointments.
  2014
• 兼任師資：陳錫蕃 National Taiwan Normal University profile documenting Chen's teaching areas in translation and international organizations and his professional experience as a diplomat.