A Cabinet reshuffle aimed at improving cooperation between ministers and the premier ahead of the nine-in-one local elections is to include Minister of Transportation and Communications Hochen Tan (賀陳旦).
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) hopes to form a Cabinet that would work well with Premier William Lai (賴清德), an anonymous source said, adding that the new ministers would be announced next week.
The party hopes that the reshuffle, which is the largest since Lai took office 10 months ago, would allow the premier to make smooth progress on key issues such as improving the economy.
A reshuffle in February saw Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) take over from National Security Council Secretary-General David Lee (李大維), who in turn replaced Minister of National Defense Yen Teh-fa (嚴德發).
Then-minister of labor Lin Mei-chu (林美珠) left her position due to health issues and was replaced by former Kaohsiung deputy mayor Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春).
Lai at the time had no intentions of a Cabinet reshuffle, the source said.
Lai, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and other officials held meetings last month, when the president expressed support for another reshuffle, the source said, adding that the DPP views the outcome of the upcoming elections as an evaluation of the government’s performance.
Lai is under a great deal of pressure due to the elections and hopes that the reshuffle would be completed as soon as possible, the source said.
Cabinet spokesman Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) is expected take over the post of minister of the interior given his ability to communicate with other parties, the source said, adding that Hsu will likely seek to improve communication between the Cabinet and the legislature.
Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau Director-General Tsai Ching-hsiang (蔡清祥) is likely to take over as minister of justice given his rapport with Lai, while Deputy Minister of Finance Su Jain-rong (蘇建榮) is likely to take over as minister of finance, the source said.
Minister of Justice Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) is likely to be reassigned deputy secretary-general of the Presidential Office, the source said.
DPP Legislator Kolas Yotaka is to take over as Executive Yuan spokesperson, the source added.
Minister of the Interior Yeh Jiunn-rong (葉俊榮) yesterday thanked his coworkers for their help during the past two years, and discussed the ministry’s successes and areas requiring improvement.
Yeh praised the Central Emergency Operation Center for its efforts in reducing casualties and injuries during typhoons, but said that the government must clarify its policies for work and school cancelations during storms.
Additional reporting by CNA
A Chinese aircraft carrier group entered Japan’s economic waters over the weekend, before exiting to conduct drills involving fighter jets, the Japanese Ministry of Defense said yesterday. The Liaoning aircraft carrier, two missile destroyers and one fast combat supply ship sailed about 300km southwest of Japan’s easternmost island of Minamitori on Saturday, a ministry statement said. It was the first time a Chinese aircraft carrier had entered that part of Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), a ministry spokesman said. “We think the Chinese military is trying to improve its operational capability and ability to conduct operations in distant areas,” the spokesman said. China’s growing
Taiwan yesterday denied Chinese allegations that its military was behind a cyberattack on a technology company in Guangzhou, after city authorities issued warrants for 20 suspects. The Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau earlier yesterday issued warrants for 20 people it identified as members of the Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command (ICEFCOM). The bureau alleged they were behind a May 20 cyberattack targeting the backend system of a self-service facility at the company. “ICEFCOM, under Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, directed the illegal attack,” the warrant says. The bureau placed a bounty of 10,000 yuan (US$1,392) on each of the 20 people named in
Nine retired generals from Taiwan, Japan and the US have been invited to participate in a tabletop exercise hosted by the Taipei School of Economics and Political Science Foundation tomorrow and Wednesday that simulates a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan in 2030, the foundation said yesterday. The five retired Taiwanese generals would include retired admiral Lee Hsi-min (李喜明), joined by retired US Navy admiral Michael Mullen and former chief of staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces general Shigeru Iwasaki, it said. The simulation aims to offer strategic insights into regional security and peace in the Taiwan Strait, it added. Foundation chair Huang Huang-hsiung
PUBLIC WARNING: The two students had been tricked into going to Hong Kong for a ‘high-paying’ job, which sent them to a scam center in Cambodia Police warned the public not to trust job advertisements touting high pay abroad following the return of two college students over the weekend who had been trafficked and forced to work at a cyberscam center in Cambodia. The two victims, surnamed Lee (李), 18, and Lin (林), 19, were interviewed by police after landing in Taiwan on Saturday. Taichung’s Chingshui Police Precinct said in a statement yesterday that the two students are good friends, and Lin had suspended her studies after seeing the ad promising good pay to work in Hong Kong. Lee’s grandfather on Thursday reported to police that Lee had sent
RSS