Taiwan’s Most Unconventional Ambassador Steps Onto Finland’s Stage — Literally
Freddy Lim blends politics and performance to give Taiwan a new diplomatic edge.
Freddy Lim (林昶佐) is a well-known politician in Taiwan. He served as a Member of the Legislative Yuan (立法院 — Taiwan’s legislative branch) for eight years before becoming the Taiwanese Ambassador to Finland in July 2025.
But his appointment to Finland wasn’t random at all. Before entering politics, Freddy Lim was a professional metal singer! And Finland? It happens to be the world’s leading metal music market, with the highest number of metal bands per capita.
This created one of Taiwan’s most unique opportunities for soft diplomacy, as its ambassador performed live for an enthusiastic Finnish audience. Let’s take a look at what he had to say about his latest performance!
林昶佐指出，过去无论是双十国庆或其他台湾活动，部分芬兰政治人物、国会议员与各国外交官常基于各种因素表示无法参加，“每一个活动都邀请，但每一次都回答不好意思不可参加，或是根本没有回应”；这次音乐节收到的回函让驻芬兰代表处团队相当振奋，许多过去婉拒的政界人士这次不仅确认出席，“甚至在活动前一周还来询问能否带更多人参加”。
林昶佐 (Lín Chǎngzuǒ): Freddy Lim (Taiwanese politician and metal singer)
双十国庆 (shuāng shí guóqìng): Double Tenth National Day (Taiwan’s National Day)
回函 (huíhán): reply letter; written response
振奋 (zhènfèn): to uplift; to inspire; to boost morale
婉拒 (wǎnjù): to politely decline; to refuse tactfully
Lim pointed out that in the past, whether it was National Day or other Taiwan-related events, some Finnish politicians, parliamentarians, and foreign diplomats often declined participation for various reasons. “We invited them to every event, but each time they said they couldn’t come, or simply did not reply.” This time, however, the responses to the metal festival greatly encouraged the Taiwan Representative Office: many political figures who had previously declined not only confirmed attendance, “but even asked a week before the event if they could bring more people.”
他说明，外交工作必须更加细致，代表处事先做功课，了解哪些人本身就喜欢金属音乐，再针对个人兴趣发出邀请，“你喜欢音乐，我就告诉你我们这次有哪些金属乐团；你关注时尚，我就告诉你我们邀请了台湾设计师参与。”这次音乐节特别向曾表达对金属乐有兴趣的芬兰政界人士发出邀请，让他们了解这不只是外交活动，更符合他们的个人兴趣。
细致 (xìzhì): delicate; meticulous; detailed
金属音乐 (jīnshǔ yīnyuè): metal music
时尚 (shíshàng): fashion; trendy
He explained that diplomatic work must be more refined. The Representative Office did its homework in advance, identifying who genuinely liked metal music and tailoring invitations based on personal interests. “If you like music, we tell you which metal bands are performing; if you care about fashion, we tell you we invited Taiwanese designers.” For this festival, they specifically invited Finnish political figures who had previously shown interest in metal, helping them understand that this was not just a diplomatic event but something aligned with their personal passions.
林昶佐指出，台湾文化外交正在进行策略性调整。他表示，台湾在国际上推广的核心价值民主、自由、人权、社会韧性都极为重要，但在国际舆论场上稍显严肃、缺乏吸引人的魅力和情绪感染力。他强调，台湾需要让国际友人不只在理性层面支持台湾，更要建立情感层面的连结，让台湾的文化魅力真正打动人心。
策略性调整 (cèlüè xìng tiáozhěng): strategic adjustment
核心价值 (héxīn jiàzhí): core values
韧性 (rènxìng): resilience; toughness
稍显严肃 (shāoxiǎn yánsù): somewhat serious; slightly too serious
魅力 (mèilì): charm; attractiveness
情绪感染力 (qíngxù gǎnrǎnlì): emotional appeal; emotional impact
Lim noted that Taiwan’s cultural diplomacy is undergoing a strategic shift. He said that Taiwan’s core values — democracy, freedom, human rights, and social resilience — are extremely important, but can sometimes come across as overly serious and lacking emotional appeal. He emphasized that Taiwan must encourage international friends to support Taiwan not only rationally but also emotionally, allowing its cultural charm to genuinely move people.
谈到如何在外交官与音乐家的双重身分间转换，林昶佐坦言刚到任时确实感到紧张，但来到芬兰后逐渐找到平衡。他说，在芬兰与政界人士会面时，当资讯安全合作、区域安全等台芬双边重要议题讨论完毕后，对方往往会很自然地转换话题，邀约前往新开的重金属酒吧，或透过通讯软件分享即将举办的演唱会资讯。对他们来说，与大使讨论严肃的双边合作事项，以及两个金属乐迷一起去看表演，“这都是同一件事”。
双重身分 (shuāngchóng shēnfèn): dual identity; two roles/identities
坦言 (tǎnyán): to speak frankly; to confess honestly
资讯安全 (zīxùn ānquán): information security; cybersecurity
通讯软件 (tōngxùn ruǎnjiàn): messaging app; communication software
金属乐迷 (jīnshǔ yuèmí): metal music fan; metalhead
When asked how he switches between his roles as diplomat and musician, Lim admitted he was nervous at first, but gradually found balance after arriving in Finland. He said that when meeting Finnish political figures, after finishing discussions on key bilateral issues such as cybersecurity and regional security, the conversation naturally shifts — they might invite him to a newly opened metal bar or share concert information via messaging apps. To them, discussing serious cooperation with the ambassador and going to a show with a fellow metal fan “are essentially the same thing.”
这场活动在国际社群媒体引发热烈反应。林昶佐的演出影片在Reddit论坛短短6小时就获得2万7000个赞与556则留言，许多网友对大使的双重身分表达正面看法，有人表示“无法相信一位成熟政治人物同时也是成功金属乐团主唱”，显示台湾文化外交在国际舆论场引起关注。
社群媒体 (shèqún méitǐ): social media
论坛 (lùntán): forum
主唱 (zhǔchàng): lead singer; frontman
The event generated strong reactions on international social media. A clip of Lim’s performance received 27,000 upvotes and 556 comments on Reddit within just six hours. Many users praised the ambassador’s dual identity, with some saying they “couldn’t believe a seasoned political figure is also a successful metal frontman,” indicating that Taiwan’s cultural diplomacy has attracted global attention.
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