The resignations of Presidential Office Secretary-General Lin Pi-chao (林碧炤) and National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Yang Kuo-chiang (楊國強) were approved last night, Presidential Office spokesperson Alex Huang (黃重諺) said.
Retired Republic of China Air Force general Peng Sheng-chu (彭勝竹) was appointed to succeed Yang, while Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Jason Liu (劉建忻) is to act as head of the office until further notice, Huang said.
Lin and Yang had repeatedly asked to resign, Huang said, adding that after individual meetings with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), their letters of resignation were approved, effective today.
Peng had served as a military attache at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US and is familiar with US affairs, Huang said, adding that Peng’s experience as head of the Military Intelligence Bureau in 2005 would be invaluable in heading the NSB.
Peng’s appointment took into consideration his experience in multiple fields — he served as both chief of staff and commander of the air force, and in 2009 was also appointed as a strategic adviser at the Presidential Office — which fulfilled all requirements for the reinforcement of national security, Huang said.
Tsai said she has high expectations for 66-year-old Peng, adding that he must rally morale at the NSB and make it an effective contributor to national security.
Tsai respected Lin’s decision to retire and focus on writing, Huang said, adding that the president was grateful for her friend’s assistance over the past five months.
Lin accepted the position in April, as he felt obligated to help oversee the smooth transition of government from the administration of former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to Tsai’s, Huang said, adding that Lin wanted to help the nation with the skills he had fostered.
Lin felt that he has fulfilled his purpose and should vacate the position for someone that would be of more use to the president, Huang said.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist
By refusing to agree spending increases to appease US President Donald Trump, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez threatened to derail a summit that NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte needs to run smoothly for the sake of the military alliance’s future survival. Ahead of yesterday’s gathering in The Hague, Netherlands, things were going off the rails. European officials have expressed irritation at the spoiler role that Sanchez is playing when their No. 1 task is to line up behind a pledge to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP. Rutte needed to keep Spain in line while preventing others such as Slovakia
SHIFT PRIORITIES: The US should first help Taiwan respond to actions China is already taking, instead of focusing too heavily on deterring a large-scale invasion, an expert said US Air Force leaders on Thursday voiced concerns about the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) missile capabilities and its development of a “kill web,” and said that the US Department of Defense’s budget request for next year prioritizes bolstering defenses in the Indo-Pacific region due to the increasing threat posed by China. US experts said that a full-scale Chinese invasion of Taiwan is risky and unlikely, with Beijing more likely to pursue coercive tactics such as political warfare or blockades to achieve its goals. Senior air force and US Space Force leaders, including US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and
RSS