Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER) President Wu Rong-i (
"I am quite confident that I will take advantage of my expertise in economic issues to provide my professional analysis, study and advice to help Premier Frank Hsieh," Wu said during a press conference at the Cabinet yesterday morning.
PHOTO: SEAN CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
After Hsieh became premier on Jan. 25, he lobbied to have KMT lawmaker Chiang Pin-kun (江丙坤), who is also vice chairman of the party and former chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development, to become vice premier. However, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) never gave his blessing to the appointment, and so Chiang did not give Hsieh an answer to his offer.
Hsieh said that he had considered Wu as a second choice for the spot, because his priority had been to try to get a member of the opposition camp to join the Cabinet.
"While I first spoke with Wu, I explained clearly to him that my priority was Chiang due to political concerns, and he understood and supported me for this arrangement," Hsieh said. "For that, I appreciate his understanding and would like to apologize to him for keeping him waiting and making him my second choice."
At the press conference, Hsieh said that he had opened the door to Chiang to join the Cabinet, but that he could not keep his team and the public waiting indefinitely.
Wu is a well-known supporter of former president Lee Teng-hui's (
Asked whether he will continue to urge local enterprises not to invest in or move their facilities to China, Wu said that he will merely provide his professional advice to his superiors.
Opposition parties were negative in their reaction to the news of Wu's appointment yesterday.
"Currently, I can't see how this appointment will have any effect on improving Taiwan's economy, because Wu Rong-i is conservative in his policy about investing in China," People First Party (PFP) legislative whip Liu Wen-hsiung (
"The KMT respects the wishes of the DPP and the premier," said Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus whip Huang Teh-fu (黃德福) yesterday. "What we care about the most is whether they will nominate capable individuals. But from past examples, we can see that even if talented individuals enter the Chen Shui-bian administration, under a such a willful leadership, those individuals will burn out."
Leaders of business groups, who have been urging that someone with a business background be named as vice premier, yesterday welcomed Wu's appointment, but also expressed regret that Chiang had not taken up the post.
"Wu is an appropriate pick for the position, considering his sophisticated management ability and insights into macroeconomic and industrial policies," Theodore Huang (
Although Wu has less political experience than Chiang, as president of the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (
Wu possesses a doctoral degree in economics from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium. He has been president of TIER since 1994. Prior to that post, he was an economics professor and director at National Chung Hsing University. Wu has also been a senior economic advisor to different government offices, including the Presidential Office, the Cabinet and the Ministry of Finance.
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
WARFARE: All sectors of society should recognize, unite, and collectively resist and condemn Beijing’s cross-border suppression, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said The number of Taiwanese detained because of legal affairs by Chinese authorities has tripled this year, as Beijing intensified its intimidation and division of Taiwanese by combining lawfare and cognitive warfare, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) made the statement in response to questions by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈柏洋) about the government’s response to counter Chinese public opinion warfare, lawfare and psychological warfare. Shen said he is also being investigated by China for promoting “Taiwanese independence.” He was referring to a report published on Tuesday last week by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency,
‘ADDITIONAL CONDITION’: Taiwan will work with like-minded countries to protect its right to participate in next year’s meeting, the foreign ministry said The US will “continue to press China for security arrangements and protocols that safeguard all participants when attending APEC meetings in China,” a US Department of State spokesperson said yesterday, after Beijing suggested that members must adhere to its “one China principle” to participate. “The United States insists on the full and equal participation of all APEC member economies — including Taiwan — consistent with APEC’s guidelines, rules and established practice, as affirmed by China in its offer to host in 2026,” the unnamed spokesperson said in response to media queries about China putting a “one China” principle condition on Taiwan’s
RSS