Michael Tsai (
The handover ceremony took place yesterday morning behind closed doors.
Ministry spokesman Yu Sy-tue (虞思祖) told reporters that Minister without Portfolio Huang Hwei-chen (黃輝珍) chaired the ceremony.
He said Tsai held his first meeting as defense chief in the ministry shortly after the ceremony.
Lee decided on Saturday to resign for failing to smoothly carry out an order to establish an arms company Taiwan Goal, incurring doubts and controversy along the way.
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) had planned to be the largest stakeholder in the arms company at 45 percent.
Tsai is the former vice minister of national defense.
Tsai, 67, who has a doctorate from the California Western School of Law, served as a legislator for two terms and as a deputy representative to the US.
Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) confirmed the existence of Taiwan Goal on Feb. 15 following a report by the Chinese-language China Times that it had been established.
Since then, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers have accused the government of seeking to make a profit from the arms trade.
In a new development, the KMT caucus yesterday said it may organize a "truth investigation committee" to probe arms procurement projects related to the company should the Cabinet fail to disband it by Friday.
"Michael Tsai has been appointed new Minister of National Defense for the remaining three-months of [President Chen Shui-bian's (
Fai alleged that the company may sign under-the-table arms deals if it is allowed to exist.
"We must warn Chen's government to take care of the company as soon as possible or [the caucus] will exercise oversight of the firm by establishing a truth investigation committee," he said.
The fact that 45 percent of the newly established arms dealership's initial capital would come from the ministry had sparked speculation from the KMT that the government would seek to profit from the company's arms trading.
The KMT had also alleged that the legislature would not be able to supervise operations of a private arms company.
Opposition lawmakers also alleged that Vice Premier Chiou I-jen (
During his administrative report to the legislature last Friday, the premier defended Cabinet policy by saying that Taiwan Goal would not be disbanded.
However, the Cabinet announced a sudden halt to government investment in the company on Saturday while Lee surprised many by resigning.
"In terms of Taiwan Goal's establishment, we hoped the government could control it while the legislature could supervise it ... but the company did not live up to these two principles," Fai said.
During a visit to the caucus later yesterday, Tsai said the premier had pointed out that Taiwan Goal would be disbanded soon, but "the disbandment must follow certain legal procedures."
Tsai said he could not promise disbandment of the company by Friday because he did not have decision-making power.
Nevertheless, Tsai said Taiwan Goal will not seek to exist by assuming under-the-table operation or changing the title of the company.
In response to the KMT's proposal, DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (
But he said it is ridiculous that the KMT wanted to probe a company that had not even begun to operate.
DPP Legislator William Lai (賴清德) said that the DPP insisted a private arms company could help promote the nation's defense industry.
He said that he believed the KMT opposed the company only to gain political mileage from the company during the presidential campaign.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as