Sources from the Presidential Office yesterday told the Taipei Times that the tradition of appointing the chief of the general staff to the post of minister of national defense is still the best choice for President Chen Shui-bian (
However, the source stressed that the appointment of military chiefs, including the new minister, the new chief of the General Staff and maybe certain posts of commander, would be finalized next week.
The source also denied a local newspaper report which said that Tsao Wen-shen (曹文生), a 61-year-old retired three-star General, would succeed Tang Yao-ming (湯曜明).
"It is simple to clarify such a rumor. The promotion of military personnel should respect two essential elements: Seniority and rank. Tsao is not satisfying either one," the source said.
"If you want to put Tsao in the post of minister of national defense, it means that you have to force the incumbent Chief of General Staff Admiral Lee Jye (李傑) to retire, which would trigger a large-scale military personnel reshuffle," the source said.
The source's remarks suggested that Lee Jye is still the priority choice to be appointed as new Minister of National Defense, if Tang insists on leaving his post.
The source said that to stabilize morale in military, President Chen still has to emphasize the support from Tang and Lee and, therefore, a small-scale reshuffle is obviously much more appropriate for coping with the situation.
Tang had expressed his wish to resign after the presidential election, however, under the president's persuasion, Tang then promised to stay on in his post until the presidential inauguration on May 20.
Tsao is now serving as Strategy Advisor to the president and once was the chief aide-de-camp to former President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝). According to the Chinese-language media, Lee and former Minister of National Defense Chiang Chung-ling (蔣仲苓) both recommended Tsao to succeed Tang.
But a senior aide to President Chen yesterday told the Taipei Times that they had not hear of any plans related to Tsao.
"It always happens that military heavyweights who expect to win the president's favor for promotion purposes, reveal their `reliable information' to the media. Through this they try to affect the big boss's final decision," the senior aide said.
"A clear arrangement will be published next week," the aide said, adding that Premier Yu Shyi-kun is taking two days vacation until tomorrow.
Cabinet spokesman Lin Chia-lung (
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition