The commander-in-chief of the air force is expected to be replaced in February, which is likely to trigger a change of leaders in the other branches of the military at the same time, according to defense sources.
Incumbent Air Force Commander-in-Chief General Chen Chao-ming (陳肇敏) is to be replaced by newly appointed deputy chief of the air force Lieutenant-General Li Tien-yu (李天羽), sources said.
A Chinese-language newspaper has reported that Li is to replace Chen, saying that Li is President Chen Shui-bian's (
An air force general who declined to be identified told the Taipei Times that it is widely known in the military that Li is to become the next leader of the service because he has Chen's support.
The air force's general headquarters refused to comment on the matter, but did say that Li is to serve in his deputy service chief position for only six months.
Li assumed his current position on Sept. 1, becoming one of three deputy commanders-in-chief of the service.
It is rare for the air force to have three deputy commanders-in-chief at the same time, the usual number being two.
"It is not the first time that the air force has had three deputy commanders-in-chief at the same time. Incumbent director of the National Defense University, General Hsia Yin-chou (
"Lieutenant-General Li is to stay in his deputy service chief position for no longer than half a year. It is a temporary post. It is a special arrangement that we are not in a position to comment on," said the spokesman, who did not wish to be identified.
If Li is to stay in his current job for no longer than six months, his promotion to the air force's chief post could occur in February, a common time for changing positions in the military.
The arrangement is considered a way of making Li eligible for the top air-force job since, under military tradition, the person who holds that post must have previous experience as a deputy chief or equivalent post.
Li is said to be favored by President Chen because of his contacts with the president while Chen was a member of the Legislative Yuan's defense committee. Li played a liaison role for air force general headquarters and is reported to have won Chen's trust in that role.
Li's replacement of Chen Chao-ming is expected to trigger changes across most senior positions in the military.
Erich Shih (
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS