Former national policy adviser Wu Li-pei (吳澧培) yesterday questioned the effectiveness of the latest Cabinet reshuffle, saying a comprehensive overhaul replacing Premier Lin Chuan (林全) and ministers who served in the former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government is necessary to improve the nation’s leadership.
The replacement of the ministers of science and technology, health and welfare, labor and agriculture on Friday was a belated adjustment to the under-performing Cabinet, while a complete overhaul is necessary to make the government more innovative and Taiwan-centric, Wu said.
While the effect of the reshuffle is yet to be observed, the new ministers’ achievements might be limited since the premier has been unable to prove himself as anything more than a tax expert with questionable leadership, he said.
“Lin does not seem to have the leadership ability to build a united team, with different branches of the government doing their own thing,” Wu said.
Lin, a former finance minister, is an expert in taxation, but is conservative about suggesting innovative fiscal policies needed to stimulate the economy. His refusal to approve budget items he deems unnecessary could impede economic reforms, Wu said.
“A person who errs can still be given an opportunity if he proves suitable for the job, but having the wrong person in the job is unacceptable,” he said.
The scope of the reshuffle is too narrow to remove “old blue men” from the Cabinet — predominantly men associated with the KMT or having served in former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration, including Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維), Minister of National Defense Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬) and Veterans Affairs Council Director Lee Shying-jow (李翔宙), Wu said, adding that their acceptance of the so-called “1992 consensus” is at odds with President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) policies.
“A new premier and Cabinet members with a ‘Taiwan mindset,’ executive capabilities and team spirit is key to a bright future,” he added.
Tsai said there was a “lack of talented options” for the Cabinet, Wu said, adding that many officials from former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) administration and people from the academic and business sectors could be excellent candidates.
Taiwan Society chairman Chang Yeh-shen (張葉森) also said Lee, Minister of Justice Chiu Tai-san (邱太三), Minister of Economic Affairs Lee Chih-kung (李世光) and National Development Council Chairman Chen Tian-jy (陳添枝) should be replaced.
David Lee squandered a rare opportunity to improve foreign relations when the US passed legislation approving high-level Taiwan-US military exchanges and reaffirmed the Taiwan Relations Act and the “six assurances,” Chang said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reportedly demoted a high-level official for suggesting changing the nation’s acronym from ROC (Republic of China) to “Taiwan,” contrary to efforts to “rectify” the nation’s name, he said.
Chiu has done little since his inauguration, Chang said, while his inaction in imposing a travel ban on Ma over his legal dispute has been criticized among the pan-green camp as hypocritical since Chen Shui-bian’s travel was restricted immediately after he left office.
Although Tsai is determined to carry out reforms, her efforts might be fruitless without a complete Cabinet overhaul, he said.
The so-called “1992 consensus,” a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000, refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese government that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Hualien Branch of the High Court today sentenced the main suspect in the 2021 fatal derailment of the Taroko Express to 12 years and six months in jail in the second trial of the suspect for his role in Taiwan’s deadliest train crash. Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥), the driver of a crane truck that fell onto the tracks and which the the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA) train crashed into in an accident that killed 49 people and injured 200, was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in the first trial by the Hualien District Court in 2022. Hoa Van Hao, a
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the