The new heads of the National Police and Fire Administrations took office yesterday.
Wang Jinn-wang (
The two replace Ting Yuan-jinn (
Premier Tang Fei (
After the ceremony concluded, Wang, previously the head of Taipei's municipal police department, held a press conference to announce his blueprint for running the nation's police.
"We will establish a service-oriented concept," Wang said. "Citizens' minor matters will be regarded as major matters for the police. Police officers will treat citizens as customers and aim to offer the highest quality of service."
Wang also vowed to work toward Tang Fei's goal of "sweeping away black gold and establishing a safe and just society."
He identified as crucial tasks the improvement of criminal investigations and crime prevention efforts, minimizing juvenile delinquency, ensuring the safety of women and children and ensuring traffic safety.
Wang, 53, is the youngest ever director-general of the National Police Administration.
In the past five years, the holder of the position of top cop has changed four times -- almost always under a cloud of controversy.
Yen Shih-hsi (
Yao Kao-chiao (姚高橋) succeeded Yen but stepped down ten months later due to the kidnapping and murder of Pai Hsiao-yen (白曉燕), the daughter of popular TV star Pai Ping-ping (白冰冰).
Yao had come under fire for the failure of the police to stop the continuous crime spree by Pai's three fugitive murderers and for a cover-up of another kidnapping by the trio. Ting succeeded Yao in August 1997 and served for three years before quitting to shoulder responsibility for the Pachang Creek incident.
Chao, the new director-general of the National Fire Administration, last served as director of the now defunct Taiwan Provincial Fire Department. He came out of retirement to take the post.
Chao is widely seen by media as close to People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), and his assignment to the new post has been interpreted as part of an effort by the government to seek political balance.
Also in yesterday's ceremony, Chu Cheng-ming (朱拯民), previously secretary-general of the national police administration, replaced Hsieh Jui-chi (
STILL COMMITTED: The US opposes any forced change to the ‘status quo’ in the Strait, but also does not seek conflict, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said US President Donald Trump’s administration released US$5.3 billion in previously frozen foreign aid, including US$870 million in security exemptions for programs in Taiwan, a list of exemptions reviewed by Reuters showed. Trump ordered a 90-day pause on foreign aid shortly after taking office on Jan. 20, halting funding for everything from programs that fight starvation and deadly diseases to providing shelters for millions of displaced people across the globe. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has said that all foreign assistance must align with Trump’s “America First” priorities, issued waivers late last month on military aid to Israel and Egypt, the
‘UNITED FRONT’ FRONTS: Barring contact with Huaqiao and Jinan universities is needed to stop China targeting Taiwanese students, the education minister said Taiwan has blacklisted two Chinese universities from conducting academic exchange programs in the nation after reports that the institutes are arms of Beijing’s United Front Work Department, Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) said in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) published yesterday. China’s Huaqiao University in Xiamen and Quanzhou, as well as Jinan University in Guangzhou, which have 600 and 1,500 Taiwanese on their rolls respectively, are under direct control of the Chinese government’s political warfare branch, Cheng said, citing reports by national security officials. A comprehensive ban on Taiwanese institutions collaborating or
France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and accompanying warships were in the Philippines yesterday after holding combat drills with Philippine forces in the disputed South China Sea in a show of firepower that would likely antagonize China. The Charles de Gaulle on Friday docked at Subic Bay, a former US naval base northwest of Manila, for a break after more than two months of deployment in the Indo-Pacific region. The French carrier engaged with security allies for contingency readiness and to promote regional security, including with Philippine forces, navy ships and fighter jets. They held anti-submarine warfare drills and aerial combat training on Friday in
COMBAT READINESS: The military is reviewing weaponry, personnel resources, and mobilization and recovery forces to adjust defense strategies, the defense minister said The military has released a photograph of Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) appearing to sit beside a US general during the annual Han Kuang military exercises on Friday last week in a historic first. In the photo, Koo, who was presiding over the drills with high-level officers, appears to be sitting next to US Marine Corps Major General Jay Bargeron, the director of strategic planning and policy of the US Indo-Pacific Command, although only Bargeron’s name tag is visible in the seat as “J5 Maj General.” It is the first time the military has released a photo of an active
RSS