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.”
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