Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Joseph Wu (
The appointment comes after President Chen Shui-bian (
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chiu Tai-san (
Wu told reporters after meeting with Yu yesterday afternoon that he will exert himself in his new job based on the foundation laid down by Tsai.
"I'll also do my best to communicate with lawmakers and to develop a sound relationship with the media," he said.
The meeting between Wu and the premier came one day after Chen asked Wu about his interest in the job.
Wu, 50, was appointed to his job at the Presidential Office in 2002.
He is a former teacher and research assistant in the political science department of Ohio State University. He also served as the deputy director of the Institute of International Relations at National Chengchi University, where colleagues said he wrote papers critical of Beijing.
Analysts said Wu's assignment, coming after Chen appointed former independence activist Mark Chen (陳唐山) as foreign minister, would send a strong message to China on Taiwan's sovereignty.
"With Mark Chen in the foreign ministry and Joseph Wu in the Mainland Affairs Council, this combination sends a very powerful message to the world," said Su Chi (蘇起), who was chairman of the MAC under the former KMT administration.
"Both are diehard pro-independence individuals," said Su, a close aide to KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
According to outgoing Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (
"She told the premier that she'd like to take care of her sick mother and have more time to herself for reading and traveling," Lin said. "She also discussed cross-strait policies with the premier but she didn't recommend any candidate as her successor."
While Lin said Chiu's appointment has not been finalized, Wu told reporters yesterday afternoon that Chiu has accepted the position.
During a meeting with Yu on April 29, Chiu was promised a No. 2 position at either the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Mainland Affairs Council or the proposed Financial Supervisory Board.
Chiu, 48, was elected to the legislature in 1999 and is a former member of the National Assembly. He practiced law after obtaining a master's degree from National Taiwan University.
Lin yesterday dismissed speculation that Fan Yun (范雲), an assistant researcher at Academia Sinica's Institute of Sociology, has accepted the premier's offer to head the National Youth Commission.
"It's groundless speculation," Lin said. "The premier didn't contact Fan to discuss the matter, nor did she contact the premier to accept or decline the offer."
Lin said the premier had five candidates in mind but Fan was not one of them.
"It may take a while to find the most suitable person," Lin said.
Chen has pledged that the new head of the National Youth Commission will be "the youngest person in the Cabinet," and preferably a woman under 35.
Progress has not been made in the search for the two vacancies for ministers without portfolio.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
At least 35 people were killed and dozens more injured when a man plowed his car into pedestrians exercising around a sports center in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai on Monday night. Footage showing bodies lying on the pavement appeared on social media in the hours after the crash, but had vanished by early Tuesday morning, and local police reported only “injuries.” It took officials nearly 24 hours to reveal that dozens had died — in one of the country’s deadliest incidents in years. China heavily monitors social media platforms, where it is common for words and topics deemed
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
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