President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) resumed his public activities yesterday by visiting a military base in southern Taiwan. However, he was still keeping a low profile and many previously scheduled public events at the Presidential Office have been cancelled.
Chen yesterday morning flew from Taipei Sungshan Airport to a military base in southern Taiwan for a planned inspection. He was accompanied by Minister of National Defense Lee Jye (李傑) and Deputy Secretary-General of the Presidential Office Ma Yung-cheng (馬永成).
The inspection, Chen's first trip outside the capital since last Saturday's vote, was not open to the media.
Since the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) setback in the elections, Chen has kept a low profile and has not appeared in public. From Monday to yesterday, all scheduled activities at the Presidential Office were either hosted by Presidential Office Secretary-General Yu Shyi-kun or cancelled.
Officials of the Presidential Office said that Chen needs more time to map out not only a comeback strategy for the DPP but also policies reviving economic development. The Presidential Office plans to convene a second economic development advisory conference after the Lunar New Year.
Yesterday, Senior Presidential Adviser Wu Li-pei (吳澧培) said he would suggest that Chen cancel the conference. According to the Central News Agency, Wu predicts that the conference's conclusions will lead to major new economic policies that will benefit industries and opportunities in China.
Wu said that the government should pay attention to the interests of all people, rather than just the interests of businessmen.
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