In a near-completion of what has proved no easy task in building the skeleton of the new DPP-led government, President-elect Chen Shui-bian (
At the same time, Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲) announced that the ad hoc National Policy Advisory Committee he headed -- which held its third meeting yesterday -- had decided to disband, having completed its task in assisting Chen in building a new government.
Among those confirmed yesterday, Shea Jia-dong (
Trained as an economist, the 52-year-old Shea has worked as a research fellow at Academia Sinica and taught at National Taiwan University before taking up his present position in 1996.
Ovid J.L. Tzeng (
DPP legislator Yeh Chu-lan (
Two ministers without portfo-lio were also confirmed, including Wu Rong-ming (
Also invited to serve was Huang Jong-tsun (黃榮村), a psychology professor at National Taiwan University and an active education reformist. Previous reports had tipped Huang to be a possible candidate for Minister of Education.
Mayor of Tainan Mark Chen (
The new Coast Guard Administration, meanwhile, will be led by Wang Chun (王郡), the incumbent National Police Administration deputy director.
Wang had previously headed the seventh police peace preservation corps -- the predecessor of the now defunct marine police department -- as well as the Criminal Investigation Bureau and the Kaohsiung City Police Administration.
Army General Yang Teh-chih (
Among the appointments still awaiting confirmation were aerospace specialist Kuo Ching-chiang (
On the appointments of vice ministerial positions, DPP legislator Tsai Ming-hsien (
The difficult decisions over the Cabinet appointments have triggered speculation in the media of disagreement between Chen and Tang Fei. The premier-designate yesterday, however, dismissed the rumors as unfounded.Alos See Mark Chen Inside
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
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