Straits Exchange Foundation Vice Chairman Shi Hwei-yow (許惠祐) yesterday accepted an offer to take charge of the Coast Guard Administration, the Cabinet said yesterday.
The 52-year-old Shi was appointed to his present position in 1998. He served as vice chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council between 1996 and 1997 and worked in the secretariat of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) from 1997 to 1998.
Other Cabinet appointments finalized yesterday include Shih Shou-chian (
Incoming Cabinet Spokesman Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) will also double up as minister without portfolio in charge of reviewing health bills and related projects. Chen, 40, obtained his master's degree from Taipei Medical College and has worked as a doctor at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.
While Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (
"While the premier hopes to see Tsai, who is an outstanding female administrative officer, stay in the government and continue to serve the country, he will fully respect any decision made by the president because appointing the heads of cross-strait organizations, national defense agencies and diplomats is the duty of the president," Lin said.
Speculation is rife that Lin Bih-jaw (林碧炤), professor of international relations at National Chengchi University, will succeed Tsai if Chen Shui-bian and Yu are unable to persuade Tsai to stay.
With the premier scheduled to lead the Cabinet next Wednesday in a resignation en masse, as required, Lin Chia-lung said Yu hoped to finalize the new Cabinet line-up by the end of this week.
And while Chen Shui-bian will hand-pick the new defense minister and head of the Mainland Affairs Council, Lin Chia-lung said that Yu was still looking for a new head for the National Youth Commission and two more ministers without portfolio.
Chen Shui-bian has pledged that the new head of the National Youth Commission will be "the youngest person in the Cabinet," and preferably a woman under 35.
Lin Chia-lung said the premier had some candidates in mind but had not yet reached a decision.
There are seven ministers without portfolio in charge of reviewing bills across seven different fields. The other two positions relate to finance and the economy, culture, education and welfare.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
Chinese embassy staffers attempted to interrupt an award ceremony of an international tea competition in France when the organizer introduced Taiwan and displayed the Republic of China flag, a Taiwanese tea farmer said in an interview published today. Hsieh Chung-lin (謝忠霖), chief executive of Juxin Tea Factory from Taichung's Lishan (梨山) area, on Dec. 2 attended the Teas of the World International Contest held at the Peruvian embassy in Paris. Hsieh was awarded a special prize for his Huagang Snow Source Tea by the nonprofit Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA). During the ceremony, two Chinese embassy staffers in attendance
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