Lin Join-sane (林中森) became the secretary-general of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday, vowing to complete the missions set forth by the party and party chairman. Lin said he hoped to reconcile party affairs with public opinion, so that the voices of people at the grassroots level could get through to the government via the party.
Lin, 67, previously served as Kaohsiung deputy mayor, deputy minister of the interior and Executive Yuan secretary-general. He replaces Liao Liou-yi (廖了以) as KMT secretary-general.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who doubles as KMT chairman, was supportive of Lin, but reminded him that it was a “tough job” and that he needed to be mentally prepared for it. Ma said the public has seen the party engage in many substantive reforms, but feels they are insufficient.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
“We hope there will be more reform so that the grand old party can have a new look in its centennial year,” Ma said. “Lin is good at coordinating. His low-key style always enables him to complete his mission.”
He also praised Lin as someone well-versed in a wide range of fields, from relations between the central and local governments to planning and construction, and from social welfare to national parks.
The president commended the Liao for a job well done, saying that he had reluctantly accepted Liao’s request to resign because he had repeatedly asked for more time with his 98-year-old mother.
Liao would not confirm -reports that he will become the head of the Association of East Asian Relations, which handles Taiwan’s relations with Japan in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
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