Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
Wang, also a KMT vice chairman, apparently disagrees with most opposition politicians -- who have argued that the council should be a purely economic organization.
While the goals of the council are to restore public faith in the economy and put forth substantive solutions to economic problems, many economic issues are closely tied to politics, Wang said.
Examples include the opening of direct cross-strait transportation, trade and communication links as well as the relaxation of the "no haste, be patient" policy on investment in China, he said.
Wang said as long as representatives of political parties sit on the council, they will have the ability to give political endorsements.
That being so, the participation of party leaders is not necessary, Wang added.
Meanwhile, Yao Eng-chi (饒穎奇), vice speaker of the Legislative Yuan, who leads a group in charge of setting the council's agenda, said cross-strait economic and trade ties will be a major issue for the council.
Yao said that it was the uncertainty surrounding cross-strait relations that had caused people to lose faith in the economy, and that improvements in cross-strait relations would help solve the problem.
The council will be chaired by President Chen Shui-bian (
Wang and Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (
Chen originally intended to invite KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
The likelihood of Soong accepting the offer, meanwhile, is widely considered to be slim.
Other potential candidates for the position of vice chairman reportedly include Formosa Plastics Group (台塑集團) Chairman Wang Yung-ching (王永慶), Evergreen Group (長榮集團) Chairman Chang Yung-fa (張榮發) and Fubon Group (富邦集團) Chairman Tsai Wan-tsai (蔡萬才).
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
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