President Chen Shui-bian (
"The vice premier has not yet changed his mind about leaving the civil sector after the presidential inauguration, despite discussing the matter with the president [on Monday], who had hoped to persuade him to stay on," Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (
Lin Chia-lung also dismissed speculation that Lin Hsin-i, an entrepreneur-turned-politician, is considering relocating to China and developing a business career there.
"It's not only totally untrue, but also a serious mistake," Lin said. "The vice premier doesn't have the slightest intention of breaking the law to pursue a career in China."
According to the Civil Servant Service Law (
Lin Hsin-i, the first entrepreneur to become a Cabinet official in the nation's history, tendered his resignation last Tuesday. He also expressed his wish to return to the private sector after the presidential inauguration.
A favorite to succeed Lin Hsin-i is Council for Hakka Affairs Chairwoman Yeh Chu-lan (葉菊蘭). If Yeh was to take over the vice premier's position, Lin Hsin-i's job at the Council for Economic Planning and Development might be given to another person with a background in economics or finance. Speculation was rife that Minister-without-Portfolio Hu Sheng-cheng (胡勝正) was the leading candidate to take up the position.
Lin Chia-lung yesterday, however, dismissed such speculation, saying that the new Cabinet line-up would not be finalized until after the premier led Cabinet officials in resigning en masse on either May 5 or May 12.
In accordance with the Constitution, the entire Executive Yuan must resign before the new president is inaugurated. Chen is scheduled to be sworn in for his second four-year term on May 20.
As for the future of Cabinet Secretary-General Liu Shih-fang (
"Although she met with the premier [Monday] and [yesterday], they failed to touch on the matter," he said. "Communication about the matter -- as well as others -- between her and the premier has not stopped and will continue."
Liu has tendered her resignation, saying she wishes to advance her studies.
Lin Chia-lung yesterday also brushed aside a media report that the Cabinet has agreed to open up the first-stage investment policies for businesses based in China after the presidential inauguration.
He said that the Mainland Affairs Council and Ministry of Finance are still evaluating the possibility of opening up the local investment market in three stages, and will make public the final decision as they come to a consensus.
To honor Chen's pledge to allow the issuance of sports lotteries, Lin Chia-lung said that the premier yesterday requested that the government agencies concerned study the proposal and hammer out concrete measures.
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
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
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard