President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday defended the Cabinet’s efforts and called on the public to give the government more time to show its worth. His remarks suggested that he does not have immediate plans to reshuffle the Cabinet.
Addressing the closing ceremony of a government affairs research class hosted by the Central Personnel Administration yesterday morning, Ma spoke in defense of Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄), who also attended the ceremony, and gave his support to the Cabinet.
“The Cabinet is a great team. Some of them handled the Asian financial crisis 10 years ago ... The team has the confidence to lead the people out of the financial crisis this time,” Ma said, urging the public to give the Cabinet more time to prove its capabilities.
Ma said the government would insist on carrying out policies that improve living standards despite all the pressure.
He urged civil servants to have integrity and vowed to lead a clean, uncorrupted government.
“Some people said a clean government is not going to help the economy. It’s correct. However, integrity is a necessary condition for a government ... Can we tolerate a corrupt government?” Ma said. “As long as we insist on leading a clean government, the public will not despair.”
Ma also welcomed the US’ response to Taiwan’s latest UN bid and its long-standing support for Taiwan’s “meaningful participation” in UN agencies, defending his “flexible diplomacy” and diplomatic truce with China.
In a statement posted on the Web site of the US Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, the US reiterated its long-standing support for Taiwan’s “meaningful participation” in UN agencies, saying “Taiwan’s inclusion would enable the international community to better address pressing global issues.”
Meanwhile, a survey conducted by TVBS television showed that Ma’s popularity has dropped to a new low amid the stock market slump and the rising toll from Typhoon Sinlaku, which killed at least 14 people and left seven missing last week as bridges, hotels and houses collapsed in the storm.
Ma’s approval rating slipped to 28 percent — the lowest since he took office on May 20 — in a survey of 1,048 people conducted by the news channel.
The poll was conducted on Friday and results were broadcast yesterday. It showed a fall of 13 percentage points since a poll taken last month and a 2 percent decline from the previous low in July.
Sixty-five percent of respondents to the survey were critical of the Ma government’s crisis management skills, while 21 percent approved and the remainder had no comment, TVBS said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source