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.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS