Taiwan's government is handling an embarrassing incident involving its ambassador to the Marshall Islands, but insists it won't hurt ties between the two countries.

• Ambassador Hsu Wei-min had planned to be carried into Taiwan's National Day reception on a wooden sedan chair held up by local Marshall Islands residents; rehearsal footage leaked and sparked criticism.
• Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung confirmed Hsu has been recalled, but said this is not a resignation — it's a standard internal review under civil service rules.
• Officials say catching the plan early helped prevent a bigger diplomatic embarrassment, and ministry staff called Hsu directly to order him to dress formally and act with proper decorum.
• The ministry stressed this was the ambassador's own personal decision, not government policy, and that Taiwan has already briefed the Marshall Islands, which reportedly supports how Taiwan is handling it.

Outlook: Expect the internal review to conclude with personnel consequences for Hsu rather than a lasting diplomatic rift between Taiwan and the Marshall Islands.