Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) was appointed chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) yesterday, with the DPP stalwart promising to work for a "permanent peace" in the Taiwan Strait.
"Chang has been premier, Presidential Office secretary-general, DPP secretary-general and is now a lawmaker. Because of this background, he knows the government better than anybody else and this experience will be a boost for the foundation. This is why Chang was picked," Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said.
Hsieh was speaking at a press conference at the Executive Yuan to announce Chang's appointment. He succeeds the late former SEF chairman Koo Chen-fu (
PHOTO: CNA
Chang said that his goal as SEF chairman would be to assist the president, the premier and the Mainland Affairs Council in negotiating with China and seeking a permanent peace between the two nations.
"Beijing and Taipei have not talked since 1995. With a bottom line of co-existence, I will see what I can do to help the government resume peace talks with Beijing as soon as possible," Chang said.
The SEF chairmanship is an unpaid position, and because it is defined as a non-profit organization, Chang is not required to resign his seat in the legislature.
The Cabinet yesterday also announced new ministers for the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) minister and the Council of Hakka Affairs.
They are, respectively, former vice minister of examinations Chang Kow-lung (張國龍) and acting Council of Hakka Affairs Chairman Lee Yung-te (李永得).
Cabinet Spokesman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said that appointments for a number of deputy Cabinet posts will be announced next week. However, according to a reliable source, former Taichung mayor Chang Wen-ying (張溫鷹) will take up the vice interior minister's post.
Chang Kow-lung has a doctorate in physics from Yale University and began teaching at National Taiwan University in 1976. He began his career in public service as a senior secretary at the Taipei County Government in 1990. He was vice minister of examinations from 2000.
Lee Yung-te began his career as a print journalist in 1979. His first government job was a consultant at the Ministry of the Interior in 1998. In the same year, Lee became acting deputy manager of the Public Television Service, then became general manager in 1999. He left the TV station last year and became the vice chairman of the Council of Hakka Affairs.
Chang Wen-ying is a political independent, but retains good connections with the DPP.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
RSS