President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday neither confirmed nor denied speculation that former minister of finance Lin Chuan (林全) might be appointed premier after she assumes office in May.
The speculation again caught media attention after Tsai appointed Lin, along with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and former DPP secretary-general Lin Hsi-yao (林錫耀), a co-convener of her transition team to handle the transfer of power from the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
Tsai also said on Tuesday that Lin Chuan might not continue to serve as executive director of the New Frontier Foundation.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
“I was just saying that if he [Lin Chuan] does not continue to serve [on the foundation], there are many other possibilities,” Tsai said yesterday, when asked whether he would become a Cabinet member.
Asked whether Lin Chuan would be appointed premier, Tsai said: “It is too early to tell.”
“The three people on the task force [for transition of power] represent the think tank, the policy department, the party secretary-general and the campaign chief executive,” Tsai said. “They head up the three major systems, and I have therefore asked them to form the task force out of functional considerations. It does not necessarily have any connection to future personnel arrangements.”
Tsai added that she would make an announcement when she has finalized decisions on official appointments.
Lin Chuan, an economist and a professor, is one of Tsai’s most trusted aides, reports say.
In other news, Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) reiterated his determination to push for reforms to turn the legislature into a committee-oriented organization.
To show their determination to push for legislative reforms, Su and his deputy, Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌), resigned as members of the DPP Central Standing Committee on Monday, after they were elected speaker and deputy speaker earlier that day.
Su also vowed to make legislative committees the centers of the legislature, triggering media inquiries as to whether he might be worried about becoming a “powerless” legislative speaker.
“If the legislative procedures could run smoothly, the legislature could become truly committee-
oriented, and there could be quality and efficient legislation, it would be a good thing even if that means I have to become powerless,” Su said.
Asked whether he was concerned that DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), who was also interested in running for speaker, might become an “underground speaker” as the DPP caucus holds an absolute majority, Su said the public might have misunderstood Ker.
“Ker is very loyal to the party and focused on what he does; therefore, he is the right person to help negotiate a shared view on bills among caucus members,” Su said. “What is more important is meeting the public’s expectations.”
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
RSS