Another state-run business has been "greened" with the appointment of former DPP lawmaker Cheng Pao-ching (
The appointment ceremony was held at the shareholder and board meeting yesterday of TSIC, also known as Taisalt.
Prepared for trouble
TSIC security personnel were put on high alert before the meeting, following the sometimes vitriolic exchanges that took place on a similar occasion Wednesday at the Taiwan Sugar Corp (
At the Taiwan Sugar shareholder's meeting, participants lashed out at the DPP government's decision to replace that state-owned company's KMT chairman with DPP Secretary-General Wu Nai-jen (吳乃仁).
The two appointments are widely seen as part of the ruling party's plan to pave the way for victory in the year-end mayoral and city councilor elections in Taipei and Kaohsiung, as well as the presidential election in 2004.
Yesterday's meeting at Taisalt appeared to be going quite smoothly, until Cheng was embarrassed by a slip of the tongue.
During his speech, instead of saying "Taisalt," he repeated "Taisugar" several times, reminding the attendees of the unpleasantries at Taisugar the previous day.
In response to questions about his lack of professional experience, Cheng promised that he would spend one year proving his capability and that he would ensure that the TSIC's profits would more than double, according to the report.
He also said that he would not campaign for DPP candidates during office hours; nor would he make use of the TSIC's substantial resources in the run-up to elections.
"I will only campaign after work," Cheng asserted.
The outgoing chairman, Yu Kuang-hwa (
Under his leadership, the TSIC was dubbed "the role model of state-owned enterprises."
Former chairman surprised
This dramatic change in fortune surprised not only Yu, who was suddenly informed of the decision on Monday night, but also officials at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Commission of National Corporations (
The "greening" of the nation's state-owned enterprises has triggered a backlash from opposition lawmakers.
The KMT's Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) yesterday cited the China Steel Corp (中鋼) as an example, criticizing the political considerations that appear to have taken precedence in the recent appointments.
The profits of China Steel Corp dropped from NT$23 billion under former chairman Wang Chung-yu (
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or