Taipei mayor-elect Hau Lung-bin (
Samuel Wu (
Yang Hsiao-tung (
"[Wu and Yang] are old friends of mine, and they will definitely be able to make up for my shortcomings," Hau said during a luncheon with the press.
Hau stressed that "talent would be the sole standard" for his new team. It is widely believed that at least half of Ma's administration will stay.
Hau said he would consult with Ma before making a final decision on the rest of his team.
Wu is currently a professor of public administration at National Taipei University. He served as chairman of the city's Research, Development and Evaluation Committee during Ma's first term.
Wu quit his job as civil affairs director to join the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) primary for the Huanlien County Commission election.
"I left the city government feeling that I could have done more, so it's wonderful to be able to come back and make more contributions to the city," he said yesterday.
Given that Wu has been one of Ma's long-term top aides, he was asked whether he would quit the city government if Ma were to run in the 2008 presidential election. He declined, however, to confirm the speculation.
"But I will help him no matter where I am," Wu said.
Yang, who is a special assistant to the chairman of the Chinese-language China Times, said he would spare no effort in his new job.
Ma is scheduled to leave office next Tuesday. Hau's administration will take office on Dec. 25.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
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