Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Joseph Wu (
The appointment comes after President Chen Shui-bian (
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chiu Tai-san (
Wu told reporters after meeting with Yu yesterday afternoon that he will exert himself in his new job based on the foundation laid down by Tsai.
"I'll also do my best to communicate with lawmakers and to develop a sound relationship with the media," he said.
The meeting between Wu and the premier came one day after Chen asked Wu about his interest in the job.
Wu, 50, was appointed to his job at the Presidential Office in 2002.
He is a former teacher and research assistant in the political science department of Ohio State University. He also served as the deputy director of the Institute of International Relations at National Chengchi University, where colleagues said he wrote papers critical of Beijing.
Analysts said Wu's assignment, coming after Chen appointed former independence activist Mark Chen (陳唐山) as foreign minister, would send a strong message to China on Taiwan's sovereignty.
"With Mark Chen in the foreign ministry and Joseph Wu in the Mainland Affairs Council, this combination sends a very powerful message to the world," said Su Chi (蘇起), who was chairman of the MAC under the former KMT administration.
"Both are diehard pro-independence individuals," said Su, a close aide to KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
According to outgoing Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (
"She told the premier that she'd like to take care of her sick mother and have more time to herself for reading and traveling," Lin said. "She also discussed cross-strait policies with the premier but she didn't recommend any candidate as her successor."
While Lin said Chiu's appointment has not been finalized, Wu told reporters yesterday afternoon that Chiu has accepted the position.
During a meeting with Yu on April 29, Chiu was promised a No. 2 position at either the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Mainland Affairs Council or the proposed Financial Supervisory Board.
Chiu, 48, was elected to the legislature in 1999 and is a former member of the National Assembly. He practiced law after obtaining a master's degree from National Taiwan University.
Lin yesterday dismissed speculation that Fan Yun (范雲), an assistant researcher at Academia Sinica's Institute of Sociology, has accepted the premier's offer to head the National Youth Commission.
"It's groundless speculation," Lin said. "The premier didn't contact Fan to discuss the matter, nor did she contact the premier to accept or decline the offer."
Lin said the premier had five candidates in mind but Fan was not one of them.
"It may take a while to find the most suitable person," Lin said.
Chen has pledged that the new head of the National Youth Commission will be "the youngest person in the Cabinet," and preferably a woman under 35.
Progress has not been made in the search for the two vacancies for ministers without portfolio.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued a sea alert for Typhoon Fung-wong (鳳凰) as it threatened vessels operating in waters off the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), the Bashi Channel and south of the Taiwan Strait. A land alert is expected to be announced some time between late last night and early this morning, the CWA said. As of press time last night, Taoyuan, as well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties had declared today a typhoon day, canceling work and classes. Except for a few select districts in Taipei and New Taipei City, all other areas and city
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