New Party convener Hau Lung-bin (
Hau, a legislator and head of the New Party's Central Policymaking Committee, said that though his political stance and ideology were at odds with the DPP's, he would join the Cabinet to prove that the New Party "really loves Taiwan."
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"President Chen Shui-bian (
Hau was invited by Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (
"I told the premier and the president that I will not change my political stance on issues such as [Taiwan's] statehood and cross-strait policy, to satisfy the DPP's ideology [on advocating independence]" Hau said.
"I also told them that I will consistently support the continued construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant and that I will oppose a plebiscite on the issue ... unless the Legislative Yuan passes a [referendum] law," Hau said.
Hau, whose party is ardently unificationist and has in recent years become little more than a mouthpiece for Beijing, said that the president promised to give him free rein as the new EPA chief.
"The New Party has consistently voiced its concern for Taiwan's environmental protection and now I can realize my party's ideals through this opportunity," Hau said.
Hau was asked to join the Cabinet when the DPP took power in May, but he refused an invitation from then-premier Tang Fei (唐飛).
Hau said previously that if he took over as head of the EPA, he would have to resign as convener within the New Party and give up his seat in the legislature.
Meanwhile, the premier yesterday continued to consult with close advisors and the president to decide a final list of names for the upcoming Cabinet reshuffle.
"The heads of the Atomic Energy Council (AEC) and National Science Council (NSC) will be replaced," said a senior aide to the president, who refused to be named. The source added that Wei Che-he (
"As to whether to nominate a new education minister to succeed Ovid Tzeng (
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
‘FORM OF PROTEST’: The German Institute Taipei said it was ‘shocked’ to see Nazi symbolism used in connection with political aims as it condemned the incident Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 yesterday amid an outcry over a Nazi armband he wore to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case on Tuesday night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and apparently covering the book with a coat. This is a serious international scandal and Chinese
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE TRAINING: The ministry said 87.5 percent of the apprehended Chinese agents were reported by service members they tried to lure into becoming spies Taiwanese organized crime, illegal money lenders, temples and civic groups are complicit in Beijing’s infiltration of the armed forces, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a report yesterday. Retired service members who had been turned to Beijing’s cause mainly relied on those channels to infiltrate the Taiwanese military, according to the report to be submitted to lawmakers ahead of tomorrow’s hearing on Chinese espionage in the military. Chinese intelligence typically used blackmail, Internet-based communications, bribery or debts to loan sharks to leverage active service personnel to do its bidding, it said. China’s main goals are to collect intelligence, and develop a
RSS