Premier-designate Lin Chuan (林全) yesterday introduced eight future Cabinet members, including the vice premier, the Cabinet spokesman, four ministers without portfolio and the future minister of health and welfare, to the media.
Speaking at a news conference yesterday afternoon, Lin introduced the first eight members of his future Cabinet, including future vice premier Lin Hsi-yao (林錫耀), future minister of health and welfare Lin Tzou-yien (林奏延), ministers without portfolio Lin Mei-chu (林美珠), Chang Ching-sen (張景森), Shih Jun-ji (施俊吉) and Hsu Chang-yao (許璋瑤), and future Cabinet spokesman Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) — who did not appear at the press conference as he is currently in the US as a visiting professor.
Lin Chuan said that all of the confirmed Cabinet members have served in government positions at different levels, and that he had worked well with all of them previously.
Photo: CNA
“I worked closely with Lin Hsi-yao during the presidential election, and we had good discussions on various issues,” Lin Chuan said. “I first met him when he was Taipei County’s [now New Taipei City] deputy commissioner, and I was the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics minister. I had a very good impression of him, since he could appear soft when trying to convince people, but remains firm over his views.”
Having served not only as deputy county commissioner, but also several positions in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), as well as in the Cabinet during the previous DPP administration, Lin Chuan said that Lin Hsi-yao is good at negotiating, and could be very helpful in facilitating communications in the Cabinet and with the legislature.
As for Chang, Lin Chuan said that, as a former head of the Council for Economic Planning and Development — now renamed the National Development Council — he would play a key role in planning for national development, transportation, energy and social housing.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Asked whether his appointment of Lin Mei-chu as a minister without portfolio would entail a conflict of interest, since Lin Mei-chu is Tsai’s cousin, Lin Chuan said that Lin Mei-chu would be serving in the Executive Yuan, not the Presidential Office.
“Professionalism, ability and experience are the only conditions I would consider,” the premier-designate said.
Lin Chuan also said that the decisions on future Cabinet members are not made by any one person.
“We have a team — I am not going to name everyone on the team, but Tsai and I are both on it — to make proposals and discuss possible candidates,” Lin Chuan said.
“Tsai and I often have different ideas, but I have the final say on it,” the premier-designate added.
Meanwhile, Lin Tzou-yien said that he had not attended a WHA meeting before, but that he would ask Minister of Health and Welfare Chiang Been-huang (蔣丙煌) for advice, and that because he considers himself familiar with the work, he expects the trip to go smoothly.
In response to whether Taiwan would have to attend the meeting under the “one China” principle, Lin Tzou-yien said he has not received the invitation yet, and because he would ask for Chiang’s advice in advance, he does not want to make any remarks on the issue yet.
Additional Reporting by Lee I-chia
NETWORK-MAPPING PROJECT: The database contains 170 detailed files of Taiwanese politicians and about 23 million records of household registration data in Taiwan China has developed a network-mapping project targeting political figures and parties in Taiwan to monitor public opinion during elections and to craft tailored influence campaigns aimed at dividing Taiwanese society, according to documents leaked by Chinese technology firm GoLaxy (中科天璣). The documents, collected by Taipei-based Doublethink Lab, showed a database was specifically created to gather detailed information on Taiwanese political figures, including their political affiliations, job histories, birthplaces, residences, education, religion and a brief biography about them. Several notable Taiwanese politicians are in the database, including President William Lai (賴清德), former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍),
RECOGNITION: Former Fijian prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry said that Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy serves as a stabilizing force in the Indo-Pacific region Taiwan can lead the unification of the Chinese people, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Polish president Lech Walesa said in Taipei yesterday, adding that as the world order is changing, peaceful discussion would find good solutions, and that the use of force and coercion would always fail. Walesa made the remarks during his keynote address at a luncheon of the Yushan Forum in Taipei, titled “Indo-Pacific Partnership Prospects: Taiwan’s Values, Technology and Resilience,” organized by the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Walesa said that he had been at the forefront of a big peaceful revolution and “if
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
UPGRADED MISSILE: The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is reportedly to conduct a live-fire test of the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile on Thursday next week The US Army is planning to build new facilities to boost explosives production and strengthen its supply chain, a move aimed at addressing munitions shortages and supporting obligations to partners including Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, Defense News reported. The army has issued a sources sought notice for a proposed Center of Excellence at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky, the report said. The facility would serve as a hub within the US industrial base for the production of key military explosives, including research department explosives (RDX) and high melting explosives (HMX), while also supporting research and development of next-generation materials. The proposed
RSS