Think tank-envy infects city

Over the past few months, key players of the new grouping have had contacts with other think tanks in the US, Japan and Europe, including the Washington-based Brookings Institute, Lin said.

And amid the seeming glory of the establishment of the Taiwan Thinktank yesterday, other think tanks close to the DPP government are waiting in the wings.

"While members of the Taiwan Thinktank are very close to President Chen Shui-bian, we'll set up another new think tank called Taiwan Heart [tomorrow], a group closely associated with Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮)," Chiu revealed.

An official from the presidential office compared the group with think tanks in the US such as the Heritage Foundation and the Brookings Institute -- which formulate and promote public policy for the US government.