Both the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucuses expressed their reservations yesterday about some members of the new Cabinet.
KMT caucus secretary-general Lu Hsueh-chang (呂學樟) told a news conference that Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) failed to recruit talent from outside the government, adding that the Cabinet reshuffle was merely a reshuffle within the administration.
Lu also expressed concern that new Minister of the Interior Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺), might not be able to win the hearts of the public, especially at the grassroots level, despite his academic credentials.
Lu said he could not comment on the qualification of the new minister of foreign affairs because he was not familiar with Timothy Yang (楊進添) at all.
DPP Policy Research Committee head Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said the new Cabinet members were like “little Ma Ying-jeous.”
Ker said he had never heard of Yang, adding that Minister of Education Wu Ching-chi (吳清基) was more of a politician, noting that he had represented the KMT in an unsuccessful bid for Tainan County commissioner.
DPP Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) said she “laughed out loud throughout the night” after learning of the new line-up. She did not elaborate.
When approached for comment on her way to the DPP caucus’ meeting at the legislature, DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said the appointment of new Cabinet members showed that the KMT had politics in mind.
Tsai urged the new Cabinet to respect the DPP, adding that the party could engage in “meaningful communication” with the KMT if the DPP were accorded respect.
Meanwhile, the new premier canceled his plan to visit the DPP caucus after the caucus said Wu should visit another time as many of its members were helping with post-typhoon reconstruction in the south.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
RSS