Chiayi Mayor Chang Po-ya yesterday finally made official her acceptance of President-elect Chen Shui-Bian's (陳水扁) invitation to take up the post of Minister of the Interior, while serving concurrently as provincial chairperson.
Shedding tears during her announcement at the Chiayi City Hall yesterday, the incumbent mayor of the southern city said she was reluctant to leave the people in her hometown.
Chang said she had made the decision with a heavy heart, rather than with joy. She also said that the central government should not be superior to and aloof from local administration and people.
PHOTO: TSAI TSONG-HSUEN, LIBERTY TIMES
"This is an important factor for me in taking the post," she said.
"I hope that the opinions and needs of local communities can be brought to the central government, and that central authorities can pay serious attention to local development and construction. These situations are the same no matter where you are in Taiwan," Chang said.
Chang has served at Cabinet level before being the director-general of the Department of Health from 1990 to 1997, during which time she oversaw the difficult introduction of the National Health Insurance scheme.
Chang has served as mayor of Chiayi during three separate terms. First elected in 1983, Chang succeeding her mother, Hsu Shih-hsian (許世賢), after she died. She was re-elected once again in 1985, and then in 1997.
During those terms, her sister, current Taichung Mayor Chang Wen-ying (張文英), also served two terms.
In fact, the Chang family's political influence and popularity in Chiayi City have long been unrivalled.
Since Chang has served just over half of her four-year term as mayor,an acting mayor will be appointed by the central government to serve the rest of Chang's term which ends in 2001.
"It won't be my sister, though," Chang Po-ya said, smiling.
The search for a new Minister of the Interior after Chen's election has not been easy. Last week, Chen proposed that Chang take the post, and after what appeared to be great reluctance on her part, Chen paid a visit to Chiayi on Sunday to persuade her to change her mind.
In related news, Chen reportedly met last night with national security advisor Chien You-hsin (簡又新), who confirmed that Chen had asked him to serve as vice secretary-general of the Presidential Office.
Chien said he had yet to consider the offer, however, and that he had not made a decision on the matter.
Also, the appointment of Minister of Education remains undecided. Ovid Tzeng (曾志朗), president of National Yang Ming University, who has been named as a candidate, was not willing to make a firm commitment yesterday.
FIREPOWER: On top of the torpedoes, the military would procure Kestrel II anti-tank weapons systems to replace aging license-produced M72 LAW launchers Taiwan is to receive US-made Mark 48 torpedoes and training simulators over the next three years, following delays that hampered the navy’s operational readiness, the Ministry of National Defense’s latest budget proposal showed. The navy next year would acquire four training simulator systems for the torpedoes and take receipt of 14 torpedoes in 2027 and 10 torpedoes in 2028, the ministry said in its budget for the next fiscal year. The torpedoes would almost certainly be utilized in the navy’s two upgraded Chien Lung-class submarines and the indigenously developed Hai Kun, should the attack sub successfully reach operational status. US President Donald Trump
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is expected to start construction of its 1.4-nanometer chip manufacturing facilities at the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP, 中部科學園區) as early as October, the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) reported yesterday, citing the park administration. TSMC acquired land for the second phase of the park’s expansion in Taichung in June. Large cement, construction and facility engineering companies in central Taiwan have reportedly been receiving bids for TSMC-related projects, the report said. Supply-chain firms estimated that the business opportunities for engineering, equipment and materials supply, and back-end packaging and testing could reach as high as
ALL QUIET: The Philippine foreign secretary told senators she would not respond to questions about whether Lin Chia-lung was in the country The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday confirmed that a business delegation is visiting the Philippines, but declined to say whether Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) is part of the group, as Philippine lawmakers raised questions over Lin’s reported visit. The group is being led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Huang Chao-chin (黃昭欽), Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association (CIECA) chairman Joseph Lyu (呂桔誠) and US-Taiwan Business Council (USTBC) vice president Lotta Danielsson, the ministry said in a statement. However, sources speaking on condition of anonymity said that Lin is leading the delegation of 70 people. Filinvest New Clark City Innovation Park
DEFENSIVE EDGE: The liaison officer would work with Taiwan on drones and military applications for other civilian-developed technologies, a source said A Pentagon unit tasked with facilitating the US military’s adoption of new technology is soon to deploy officials to dozens of friendly nations, including Taiwan, the Financial Times reported yesterday. The US Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is to send a representative to collaborate with Taiwan on drones and military applications from the semiconductor industry by the end of the year, the British daily reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “Drones will certainly be a focus, but they will also be looking at connecting to the broader civilian and dual-use ecosystem, including the tech sector,” one source was
RSS