Premier-designate Su Tseng-chang (
Outgoing Minister of the Interior Su Jia-chyuan (
National Security Bureau Deputy Director Wang Chin-wang (
Among those Cabinet members who have been asked to retain their portfolios are Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng (
Su said yesterday that his Cabinet will push through cross-strait trade and economic policies in line with President Chen Shui-bian's (
In that address Chen said that "active management, effective opening" represents the new mindset and course of action for cross-strait trade and economic policies, replacing "active opening, effective management," which had been pursued by the government since 2001.
Vice premier-designate Tsai Ing-wen (
Su said his team will carry out the policies stated in Chen's New Year message and will also heed administrative priorities and the needs of Taiwan.
He said he will elaborate on how he plans to achieve his aims in an administrative report to be submitted at a later date.
Su said his Cabinet choices are based on overall considerations as well as a need for teamwork, although he said he has also considered the willingness of possible candidates to be a part of the Executive Yuan.
Outgoing Premier Frank Hsieh (
Hsieh, who will step down tomorrow, said he was not very familiar with the operations of the Presidential Office since he had not served as secretary-general of the Presidential Office prior to his appointment.
But Su, who has previously served as secretary-general of the Presidential Office and as DPP chairman, should have better communications with the president and will have a smoother time pushing through administrative matters, Hsieh said.
Hsieh, who has not always seen eye-to-eye with Chen, refused to comment, however, when asked about his communications with the president and his thoughts on an open letter by former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) in which Lin urged the exchanges between the president and the premier to conform to the Constitution.
In other developments, the Legislative Yuan has decided to invite Su to present his administrative policies at the legislature on Feb. 21, the day the legislative session reconvenes.
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said that each of the parties' caucuses will select two representatives who will then be allowed to question the new premier after he presents his policy statement.
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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
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
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
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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