Taiwan Sugar Corp (Taisugar, 台糖) chairman Wu Rong-ming (吳容明) unexpectedly tendered his resignation to the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), effective yesterday, just two months after taking the post on Sept. 1.
“Minister Yiin Chii-ming (尹啟銘) is currently in Lima, Peru, at the APEC Summit, so we have not been informed of the news,” section chief at the MOEA’s department of secretariat Huang Hsien-lin (黃憲琳) said by telephone yesterday, adding the ministry was in the process of gaining a better understanding of the matter.
“At this sensitive moment, it would be imprudent for MOEA to issue any statement without the Minister present,” he added.
Liu Tsung-hsien (劉宗憲), chief of Taisugar’s public relations department, also voiced surprise, saying that he only found out about Wu’s resignation after reading the morning paper.
He added that Wu spent Monday afternoon in an executive meeting and showed no sign of his intentions.
Wu’s abrupt departure was reportedly triggered by pressure from Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Chiang Pin-kung’s (江丙坤) desire to install his nephew Chen Ching-bin (陳清彬) as company president.
Chen is currently a company vice president and had been acting as interim president. Wu was reportedly considering candidates other than Chen for the presidency.
Asked if Chen would now assume the presidency as the ministry planned, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs John Deng (鄧振中) said yesterday that it was still undecided.
The labor union also said it wants Chen to be president.
In response, Chiang yesterday expressed regret over allegations that he had recommended the promotion of his nephew.
Chiang said that he never used his personal influence to sway the personnel decisions of Taisugar, while Wu had brought up the subject when Wu came to visit him at the SEF. Chiang said he told Wu that he had to consult with his nephew about his intentions and that he had not talked about it since because he was preoccupied with his meeting with Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin (陳雲林).
Chiang said his nephew had worked his way up to the position of the company’s deputy general manager and that he had never exercised influence in his nephew’s promotions during Chen’s 30 years at Taiwan Sugar.
Chiang emphasized that he had met Wu on only two occasions since Wu assumed his current position and that he had not talked to him since he met Wu at his office before the Chiang-Chen meeting.
Chiang made the remarks while attending a meeting of the business group Third Wednesday Club (三三會) in Taipei yesterday.
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
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their