The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday announced 15 new deputy ministers, with premier-designate Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) saying he expects the ministries to work together to build a technologically innovative and public interest-focused administration.
Although the list did not include names for deputies in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense, minister of foreign affairs-designate Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) has reportedly selected Representative to France Francois Wu (吳志中) as deputy minister, which Cho has agreed to.
Yesterday’s list showed that Maa Shyh-yuan (馬士元), an associate professor of urban planning and disaster management at Ming Chuan University, and Tung Chien-hung (董建宏), an associate professor at National Chung Hsing University’s landscape and recreation program, would become deputy ministers of the interior.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
The new deputy ministers of education would be former legislator Chang Liao Wan-chien (張廖萬堅) and Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成), a professor in National Taiwan University’s Department of Electrical Engineering.
During his two terms in the legislature, Chang Liao was on its Education and Culture Committee, while Yeh is the founder of online learning platform PaGamO and BTS, an experimental education institution for autonomous learning.
Former legislator Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀) and Civil Service Protection and Training Commission Deputy Minister Lue Jen-der (呂建德) were named deputy ministers of health and welfare.
Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times
Lin was a gynecologist, while Lue, who was the director of the Taichung City Government’s Social Affairs Bureau, has expertise in National Health Insurance, political economy and social welfare.
The new deputy ministers of agriculture would be Agriculture and Food Agency Director-General Hu Jong-i (胡忠一) and Kaohsiung District Fishermen’s Association chairman Huang Chao-ching (黃昭欽).
Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Yen-po (陳彥伯) would remain in his post, while Railway Bureau Director-General Wu Sheng-yuan (伍勝園) would become a new deputy minister of transportation and communications.
Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs Herming Chiueh (闕河鳴) would also remain in his position, while L Labs Inc (艾爾科技) president Lin Yi-jing (林宜敬) would become the other deputy minister.
Lin Yi-jing had been a researcher at IBM, a deputy manager of the engineering department at Compeq Manufacturing Co (華通電腦) and director of new product research and development at Trend Micro Inc.
National Taipei University law professor Chen Yen-liang (陳彥良) would become vice chairman of the Financial Supervisory Commission, while National Taiwan University Department of Bio-Industry Communication and Development professor Peng Li-pei (彭立沛) would be deputy minister of the National Development Council.
National Taiwan University School of Design and Innovation dean Chen Bing-Yu (陳炳宇) and National Applied Research Laboratories president Lin Faa-jeng (林法正) were named National Science and Technology Council deputy ministers.
The new Public Construction Commission deputy ministers would be Taiwan Jury Association president Chen Wei-hsiang (陳為祥) and Pingtung County Department of Urban and Rural Development director Lee Yi-der (李怡德).
Deputy ministers of finance Frank Juan (阮清華) and Lee Ching-hua (李慶華), deputy ministers of environment Yeh Jiunn-Horng (葉俊宏) and Shih Wen-chen (施文真), deputy ministers of culture Lee Ching-hwi (李靜慧) and Sue Wang (王時思), deputy ministers of labor Wang An-pang (王安邦) and Hsu Chuan-sheng (許傳盛), and Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chen Chern-chyi (陳正祺) would remain in their posts.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
Two US House of Representatives committees yesterday condemned China’s attempt to orchestrate a crash involving Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s (蕭美琴) car when she visited the Czech Republic last year as vice president-elect. Czech local media in March last year reported that a Chinese diplomat had run a red light while following Hsiao’s car from the airport, and Czech intelligence last week told local media that Chinese diplomats and agents had also planned to stage a demonstrative car collision. Hsiao on Saturday shared a Reuters news report on the incident through her account on social media platform X and wrote: “I
SHIFT PRIORITIES: The US should first help Taiwan respond to actions China is already taking, instead of focusing too heavily on deterring a large-scale invasion, an expert said US Air Force leaders on Thursday voiced concerns about the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) missile capabilities and its development of a “kill web,” and said that the US Department of Defense’s budget request for next year prioritizes bolstering defenses in the Indo-Pacific region due to the increasing threat posed by China. US experts said that a full-scale Chinese invasion of Taiwan is risky and unlikely, with Beijing more likely to pursue coercive tactics such as political warfare or blockades to achieve its goals. Senior air force and US Space Force leaders, including US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and
Czech officials have confirmed that Chinese agents surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March 2024 and planned a collision with her car as part of an “unprecedented” provocation by Beijing in Europe. Czech Military Intelligence learned that their Chinese counterparts attempted to create conditions to carry out a demonstrative incident involving Hsiao, which “did not go beyond the preparation stage,” agency director Petr Bartovsky told Czech Radio in a report yesterday. In addition, a Chinese diplomat ran a red light to maintain surveillance of the Taiwanese