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.
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