Speculation intensified after former minister of finance Lin Chuan (林全), long rumored to be president-elect Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) choice for premier in her incoming administration, was included in Tsai’s transition team on Monday.
Lin, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and former DPP secretary-general Lin Hsi-yao (林錫耀) were appointed by Tsai to serve as coconveners of her transition team that is to handle the transfer of power from the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
Of the three, Wu’s counterpart is to be Presidential Office Secretary-General Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權), and Wu called Tseng to arrange a time line for the transition from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government to a DPP government.
Wu, whose expertise includes relations with the US and China, has been rumored to be earmarked to be the next head of the National Security Council.
He could also be named Presidential Office secretary-general or minister of foreign affairs, pundits said.
Due to his experience with government finances, Lin is seen by many as a likely choice for the premiership, although rumors indicate he is “not very interested” in the top executive job.
DPP Legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), who was part of one transition team, said all three coconveners have extensive experience in government service and know how each government department works well, “so they should be able to make the transition very smooth.”
Still, the DPP has called for new legislation to “institutionalize” the transfer of power after a general election, Chen said.
Chen added that there was no “absolute” relationship between the transition team and future personnel appointments, which he said are up to the president.
Other DPP insiders pointed to precedents to counter Chen’s “no relationship” comment, including the 2000 transition team of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
One coconvener of Chen Shui-bian’s transition team, Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄), was later appointed premier, one insider said, adding that “key members in the transition team usually take important jobs in the new administration.”
“It will not be that once you have participated in taking over the government, you leave. This is not the case,” the source said.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
RSS