Chang drops post as adviser

The Evergreen Group (長榮集團) yesterday issued a news release saying that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has agreed to and understood that its chairman, Chang Jung-fa (張榮發), will not continue as senior adviser to the president. According to the release, Chang quit the position so that he could spend more time leading the Evergreen Group and deal with the keen competition from abroad. "I am still willing to contribute my effort to the country if the government needs me. President Chen and I are good friends and it's not necessary to make wild guesses about why I resigned," Chang said, apparently responding to rumors that he wants to distance his company from the government to appease China. The Presidential Office renewed the list of senior advisers to the president and national policy advisers on Monday, the anniversary of the president's inauguration.