Newsmakers: Shu Chin-chiang to address military reform

Once a soldier and a columnist on national defense, Shu Chin-chiang (蘇進強) considers his new post as senior advisor to the National Security Council (NSC) his best chance to demonstrate his professionalism after his brief stint in politics.

During the last Cabinet shakeup, Shu -- the secretary-general of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) -- was recruited last week as a member of the country's supreme advising body on national security.

Appointment expected

The appointment came as no surprise.

"I think I have completed the tasks bestowed by the party, namely, to help [the TSU] get started and flourish. The new position at the NSC should allow me to better show my professional skills," Shu told the Taipei Times in an interview yesterday.

Shu said he had never thought of getting so involved in politics, referring to his time as TSU spokesman. With his new position, Shu said he is ready to return to a quieter life that won't be placed under such media scrutiny.

Shu graduated from the Chinese Military Academy and served in the army for 22 years before he retired in 1990 to become a columnist on national defense.

He has also served as the director of Nanhua University's Peace and Strategy Research Center and was a research member of the Institute for National Policy Research (INPR, 國家政策中心). At present, he is a member of the recently formed Taiwan Thinktank, focusing on cross-strait issues.

In the past, research on national defense was only conducted by the government. While working at the INPR, a private think tank, the retired lieutenant colonel said that he was the first person to lead research on national security in the private sector.

At the time, Shu guided several studies related to military reform and cross-strait security.

It was also at the time when Shu became acquainted with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who was then a legislator. The two men frequently exchanged information and knowledge on national security and Shu has been one of Chen's key advisors on related matters since.

An eclectic background

Besides being a military strategist and researcher, Shu came into prominence in the 1970s as a writer, winning countless literary awards. His work focuses primarily on his life in the army and his nostalgia for his youth in the countryside. Shu grew up in Yunlin County, one of the country's poorest areas.

When asked how he could be both a military man and a writer, Shu said the two actually have much in common.

"Writing is not limited to word play -- it also involves socilological and political thinking. The same is true for military strategy, which does not only refer to army training. Military strategy includes the studies of society, politics and economics. Analytical and logical training are essential for both occupations," he said.

The same skills were also applicable when he was the TSU spokesperson, Shu said.

With the exception of TSU Chairman Huang Chu-wen (黃主文), Shu was virtually the only person inside the party who was in charge of the campaign strategies, press releases and how to best advocate to the public the thoughts of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) -- the TSU's spiritual leader.

In 1990, Shu chose to leave the army because -- in his army uniform -- he was "a liberal mind who had to leave the KMT."

Since then, he has been active in the media. He was the director of the Taiwan Shin Wen Daily News (台灣新聞報) and the chief editorial writer of the Taiwan Times (台灣時報).