Hu Fu-hsiung, who has been with Siew ever since the latter's days at the BOFT and who is now secretary to the chairman at the MAC, says that Siew seems different only because the nature of his role is different. "You have to take into account the domestic, international, and Chinese Communist reactions in mainland policy.
但是蕭萬長的秘書胡富雄卻認為，這完全是因事而異。「大陸政策要注意島內、國際、中共三方面的反應，關係到兩千一百萬人的未來，蕭主委不得不慎重；不像過去在經貿領域，純粹是技術官僚。」