The scope of yesterday’s Cabinet reshuffle was too narrow, with the appointments likely reflecting President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) hope to ameliorate cross-strait ties, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers said.
The nation’s foreign and defense ministries and top agency for cross-strait policy all getting new leaders shows that Tsai is hoping to improve cross-strait relations, which have cooled considerably since she took office in May 2016, KMT caucus deputy secretary-general William Tseng (曾銘宗) said.
As Presidential Office Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) is perceived as having a pro-Taiwanese independence stance, his appointment as minister of foreign affairs is a mistake considering the diplomatic plight the nation faces, KMT caucus whip Lin Te-fu (林德福) said, adding that the administration should have appointed someone better suited to the position, as Wu would only further decrease the nation’s international space.
Lin also raised doubts that new Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) minister Chen Ming-tung (陳明通) — who in 2012 said the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was not attempting desinicization, but ridding the nation of the People’s Republic of China’s influence — could revive cross-strait ties, adding that the DPP’s reluctance to acknowledge the so-called “1992 consensus” has had a negative effect on the economy and encroached on the nation’s space in the international community.
The so-called “1992 consensus” — a term former MAC chairman Su Chi (蘇起) admitted to making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Tsai might hope to improve cross-strait relations with the reshuffle, but the task would ultimately depend on the president’s stance, KMT caucus secretary-general Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) said.
Chen Ming-tung adopted a hardline stance on desinicization and the “1992 consensus” when serving as MAC minister under former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), she said, adding that the DPP should stop resorting to doublespeak — implementing policies aimed at desinicization while claiming that it has extended goodwill toward China.
While data suggest sluggish economic growth, along with fewer cross-strait exchanges, are the areas in which Tsai has attracted the most criticism in opinion polls, Tseng said agencies in charge of the economy and people’s livelihood were excluded from the reshuffle, which could have been conducted on a much larger scale.
Echoing that view, KMT Culture and Communications Committee deputy director Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said: “This reshuffle not only fails to meet the public’s expectation, it also runs counter to Tsai’s oft-stated goal of propping up the nation’s economy and the standard of living.”
Meanwhile, DPP Legislator Wang Ding-yu (王定宇) lauded the reshuffle, saying it signaled that the government is ready for a year filled with challenges and opportunities.
Appointing a new defense minister suggests that Tsai is prepared to meet the challenges facing the nation in light of increased instances of Beijing’s warships and fighter jets encroaching on Taiwan’s territoty, he said.
With Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe continuing to extend his goodwill toward Taiwan, Tsai should explore the possibility of Taiwan gaining membership of the Japan-led Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and commencing military exchanges with Japan, he said, adding that recent developments in US politics have also presented opportunities for Taiwan and the US to leverage cooperation on defense and diplomacy.
The KMT would be able to see the big picture if it were not so fixated on scrutinizing officials’ political affiliations, but rather focus on their abilities and think about the best interests of Taiwanese instead of Chinese, Wang added.
Additional reporting by Stacy Hsu
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
Advocates of the rights of motorcycle and scooter riders yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei, making three demands. They were joined by 30 passenger vehicles, which surrounded the ministry to make three demands related to traffic regulations — that motorcycles and scooters above 250cc be allowed on highways, that all motorcycles and scooters be allowed on inside lanes, and that driver and rider training programs be reformed. The ministry said that it has no plans to allow motorcycles on national highways for the time being, and said that motorcycles would be allowed on the inner
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition