Incoming Vice Premier Chang Chun-hsiung
Chang, currently secretary-general to the Presidential Office, said that the two areas have been the targets of public criticism since the new government was formed more than two months ago.
"We'll learn the lessons from the painful experiences and failures of the past to start anew," Chang said.
PHOTO: SUNG CHI-HSIUNG, LIBERTY TIMES.
He said the Executive Yuan would better coordinate its financial policies, which have already gained a reputation for their inconsistency.
In addition, the Executive Yuan would strengthen its communication with lawmakers in order to win their support, Chang said.
Chang made the remarks while visiting the Legislative Yuan to meet lawmakers, the day after his appointment to the vice-premiership was announced.
During the visit, Chang met Legislative Yuan speaker Wang Jin-pyng
Chang will take over the post left vacant by Yu Shyi-kun, who stepped down on Tuesday to take responsibility for last Saturday's Pachang Creek
Chang's credentials as a former legislator who is familiar with the workings of the Legislative Yuan are widely believed to be a major factor behind his appointment to the post.
Opposition lawmakers, however, were not optimistic about the prospects of improved relations between the legislature and the Cabinet, despite Chang's reputation as a skilled communicator.
"Structurally speaking, the DPP holds only one-third of the legislative seats, which is insufficient for it to secure dominance over the implementation of policy," said Lai Shyh-bao (
Lai said the search for a replacement for Yu would have been a good opportunity for President Chen Shui-bian
"It is regrettable that the Executive Yuan lost a chance to steady its power base," Lai said.
Chen Chao-jung (
"President Chen even criticized lawmakers as a mouthpiece for the Chinese communists, creating tensions with the legislature," Chen said.
And the question of whether Premier Tang Fei (
Because Tang had previously said he preferred a candidate with a strong background in finance, the appointment of someone with little financial experience was evidence that Chen is choosing the Cabinet's personnel -- and not Tang, the lawmakers argued.
"Chang's credentials are apparently inconsistent with those you claimed to seek," said New Party legislator Cheng Long-shui
But Tang said Cheng's observation was incorrect. "I was picking the most suitable person to do the job. [Chang] was my own first choice," the premier said.
The lawmakers also questioned whether the vice premier would become a stronger figure than the premier, saying that Chang, like Yu, was sent by Chen to act as the president's representative.
Tang dismissed the suggestion as meaningless speculation.
Chang, meanwhile, said his job was to assist Tang -- not replace him.
"Tang's continuation as premier is the factor most crucial to the attainment of political stability," Chang said. "He is irreplaceable."
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
WARFARE: All sectors of society should recognize, unite, and collectively resist and condemn Beijing’s cross-border suppression, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said The number of Taiwanese detained because of legal affairs by Chinese authorities has tripled this year, as Beijing intensified its intimidation and division of Taiwanese by combining lawfare and cognitive warfare, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) made the statement in response to questions by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈柏洋) about the government’s response to counter Chinese public opinion warfare, lawfare and psychological warfare. Shen said he is also being investigated by China for promoting “Taiwanese independence.” He was referring to a report published on Tuesday last week by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency,
‘ADDITIONAL CONDITION’: Taiwan will work with like-minded countries to protect its right to participate in next year’s meeting, the foreign ministry said The US will “continue to press China for security arrangements and protocols that safeguard all participants when attending APEC meetings in China,” a US Department of State spokesperson said yesterday, after Beijing suggested that members must adhere to its “one China principle” to participate. “The United States insists on the full and equal participation of all APEC member economies — including Taiwan — consistent with APEC’s guidelines, rules and established practice, as affirmed by China in its offer to host in 2026,” the unnamed spokesperson said in response to media queries about China putting a “one China” principle condition on Taiwan’s
RSS