MOFA English Subtitle Error! Video Mislabels 'Cornell' as 'Carnegie' in Lin Chia-lung Interview

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (Lin Chia-lung) appeared in a special interview published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) through Taiwan Panorama magazine. The video was released today (9) on Facebook. However, American political commentator and attorney Eric Lin pointed out a significant error: when Lin Chia-lung referenced former President Lee Teng-hui's historic speech at Cornell University in the United States, the English subtitles incorrectly displayed it as 'Carnegie University.'

Eric Lin emphasized that the official MOFA publication made a fundamental translation mistake. Lin Chia-lung clearly stated, 'Lee Teng-hui was invited to speak at Cornell University,' but the English subtitle read: 'When Lee Teng-hui was invited to speak at "Carnegie University."'

He further noted that Carnegie Mellon University and Cornell University are entirely different institutions—Carnegie Mellon is located in Pennsylvania, while Cornell is in New York State. 'Does the MOFA editorial team not know that Carnegie ≠ Cornell? Did the minister not review the script before the video went live?' Lin questioned.

This error has sparked widespread discussion on social media, raising concerns about the professionalism and accuracy of Taiwan's international communications. Experts warn that such basic factual mistakes could undermine Taiwan's credibility in diplomatic messaging.

In related news, former ambassador to Japan Li Yi-yang walked out of Nagasaki's annual peace memorial ceremony, protesting what he described as the 'downgrading of Taiwan's status' in seating arrangements. A former national security official questioned why Taiwan did not formally protest to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the incident.