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.
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
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TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
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