The commissioner of Taipei City’s Department of Cultural Affairs, Lee Yong-ping (李永萍), will take over as deputy mayor, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) announced yesterday.
Lee, 45, was appointed by Hau to take over the position left vacant by new Minister of Education Wu Ching-chi (吳清基).
She will be the first female deputy mayor in the city’s history.
Hau said he expected Lee to communicate with Taipei City Council and the public, and improve the administration’s relations with councilors and boroughs.
“She keeps good relations with the council and I also need help to develop closer contacts with grassroots [groups] ... I have confidence in her abilities,” Hau said at the Taipei City Hall yesterday.
Hau made the announcement one day after the new council session began on Monday. Lee yesterday thanked the mayor for giving her the opportunity to serve the city, adding she would spare no effort to improve communication between the council and local boroughs.
“The Hau administration’s efforts were not largely recognized until the Deaflympics. I will put more energy into letting the public see the administration’s achievements and foster a sense of pride and honor among residents,” she said.
Some believe that Hau appointed Lee to help promote the administration’s image and to strengthen relations with grassroots [groups] ahead of the mayoral election next year, in which Hau will seek re-election.
Lee will take over the position next week and will double as commissioner for the time being, Hau said.
Lee received a bachelor’s degree in journalism at New York University and served as a People First Party legislator from 2002 until 2007.
In related news, Hau confirmed yesterday the resignation of Taipei City Department of Education commissioner Wu Ching-shan (吳清山), adding that Wu insisted on resigning because he had “completed his mission.”
Wu Ching-shan dismissed allegations that he resigned over “problematic” relations with Hau, who blamed errors during preparations for the Deaflympics on the Education Department.
“Academic research is my love,” he said, adding that he would return to Taipei Municipal University of Education after his resignation.
Wu Ching-shan took over as department commissioner in May last year after Wu Ching-chi was invited to serve as deputy mayor.
Hau said the new Education Department commissioner would be announced next week.
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
RSS