Lin, Kao at top of new list for vice defense minister

Senior Advisor to the National Security Council Michael Kao (高英茂) and Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Vice Chairman Lin Chong-Pin (林中斌) are President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) top two candidates for the post of vice defense minister, according to a source at the Presidential Office.

On Wednesday, Michael Pillsbury, a member of the US-China Security Review Commission asked the president about his candidates for defense minister and vice defense minister positions after the upcoming Cabinet reshuffle. Chen did not directly answer the question in the meeting.

However, in response to an inquiry by the Taipei Times, a high-ranking source in the Presidential Office said that Kao's and Lin's backgrounds and experience are in line with Chen's criteria for the vice defense minister post.

The source also said that placing the two on the list of candidates shows the president is "on the right track" and "thinking correctly."

The source said "candidates for the vice minister of national defense post must have good relationships with Washington; have backgrounds in military strategy; be familiar with Chinese affairs and, most importantly, they must be acceptable to the military."

Lin, who is a perfect match for the criteria, is considered the most likely to be selected for the post.

Lin has served as the MAC's spokesman and vice chairman since 1996. Lin is also a well-known scholar in Chinese military studies. He received a PhD in political science from Georgetown University in 1986 and has written extensively on Chinese military studies in various international journals.

During his 29 years in the US, Lin served as an American Enterprise Institute scholar from 1987 to 1995, specializing in Asian studies. He also taught at both the diplomatic college and the political science department of Georgetown University before returning to Taiwan in 1995.

Lin is not a member of any political party.

Lin could not been reached for comment.

The source from the Presidential Office said that if Lin is chosen for the position, another MAC vice chairman, Chen Ming-tong (陳明通), might replace Lin as the council's spokesman.

Former DPP lawmaker Michael Tsai (蔡明憲), who was defeated in the Dec. 1 Taichung City mayoral election, was also once considered a possible candidate for the vice defense minister office. However, the source said Tsai has been removed from the list.

Tsai has long paid close attention to national defense affairs as a lawmaker in the Legislative Yuan. He visited Washington on Dec. 18 last year, and has maintained a good relationship with military heavyweights in Washington.