Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday administered the oath of office to Tsai Ping-kun (蔡炳坤), who became the third deputy mayor, and Lin Chih-feng (林志?), who was promoted to Taipei Public Works Department commissioner.
Tsai, who became chief executive officer of the Tzu Chi Culture and Communication Foundation in 2016, previously served as principal of Taichung First Senior High School and Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School, and was Taichung deputy mayor under then-Taichung mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) from 2010 to 2015.
The third deputy mayor’s post had been vacant since the start of Ko’s second term on Dec. 25 last year.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Hu’s attendance at the ceremony led to speculation that Ko might cooperate with the KMT or try to attract votes from pan-blue camp supporters if he enters next year’s presidential race.
Asked about the rumors, Tsai said that Hu did not question his political affiliation when he asked him to become Taichung deputy mayor and neither did Ko, adding that since he is not a member of any political party, he could serve everyone.
Ko emphasizes credibility and honesty, efficiency and listening to others, while he believes in love, persistence and efficiency, so he thinks their values match and they could work well together, Tsai said.
While Hu is more humorous, Ko is more rational and straightforward, but Hu’s ample diplomatic experience could help Taipei push its diplomatic efforts and he would be happy to serve as a bridge between Hu and Ko, Tsai said.
He would be supervising the departments of social welfare, education, culture, and information and tourism, among others, and would seek to communicate more with the private sector, Tsai said.
Lin was head of the department’s New Construction Office prior to his promotion.
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The Taiwan Experience Education Program (TEEP) has funded short-term internships in Taiwan for more than 4,500 young people from more than 40 countries since 2015, with the goal of attracting and retaining international talent, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. Fifty-five colleges launched 514 projects this year, including in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, medicine and biotechnology, green energy, and sustainability, it said. The program provides research and practical internships in Taiwan for two to six months, and offers cultural exchange and networking opportunities, the ministry said. For example, National Formosa University’s Embedded System and Autopilot Laboratory developed two solar-powered drones in
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
Taipei resident Mu Chu-hua caught some glimpses of China’s mighty military parade on YouTube on Wednesday. As she watched hypersonic missiles roll down Beijing’s Changan Avenue and troops march in lockstep, she did not feel like they posed a threat to Taiwan. Mu, a 69-year-old retiree, said she saw the parade as simply a way for Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to “say thank you to the troops.” “I thought it was quite normal,” she said. “It was very cool.” China’s military parade commemorating the end of World War II was being watched internationally for insights into Beijing’s military advances and its show
RSS