President Tsai Ing-wen yesterday (蔡英文) appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) as the new premier.
The appointment of Chen, who vowed to bolster Taiwan’s economic, environmental and societal tenacity, is part of a Cabinet reshuffle after former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) announced the resignation of his Cabinet on Thursday last week.
Su’s Cabinet is to resign on Monday, and a handover ceremony is to be held the following day, Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) said in a statement.
Photo: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, REUTERS
Addressing a news conference in Taipei, Chen thanked Su for stabilizing the country, helping Tsai win re-election and leading the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Su’s Cabinet won the trust of Taiwanese as it introduced policies that bolstered economic development and led Taiwan to gain recognition from the world, he said.
Having worked with several premiers, Chen said that Su’s achievements were “indeed not easy.”
Photo: Taipei Times file photo
Taiwan “has reached new heights” in terms of economic prowess and international status under Tsai, Chen said, adding that the government transformed Taiwan into an ideal nation for its inhabitants.
“I will shoulder the responsibility without hesitation during the rest of Tsai’s term,” he said.
Chen said that while he loves conducting research, he is happy to contribute his strengths when the nation is in need.
Photo: Taipei Times file photo
He said he feels fortunate to live in such a free and democratic country.
Although Taiwan’s fight against the pandemic has been more effective than most countries, the government has to increase its efforts to help the economy recover, he said.
The new Cabinet must continue the policies that have benefited the country, but adjust its approach to promote post-pandemic recovery, boost social security, improve infrastructure and develop six core strategic industries: information and communication technology, information security, precision healthcare, defense, renewable energy and wartime necessities, Chen said.
Photo: Taipei Times file photo
The government should also be more aware of public opinion, pay more attention to communication, and provide care for families and disadvantaged people, he added.
Tsai thanked Su for taking up the position in the most difficult time and praised him as “the key force that supports the nation.”
Su’s Cabinet went all-out to keep African swine fever at bay, combat the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure the nation’s water supply, she said.
Taiwan not only overcame those difficulties, but helped the public maintain a normal life and won support from democratic partners around the globe, she added.
From passing a marriage equality bill to allowing imports of US pork and beef products, and reforming military service, Su has always been supportive, she said, adding that he “made the impossible possible,” including installing air-conditioners in each classroom in the nation’s public elementary, junior-high and high schools, moving the cables along the highway to Pingtung County’s Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) underground and completing the electrical upgrades to the South-Link Line of the Taiwan Railways Administration, she said.
“The script of life has been written long ago. There is no way to peek at it so I can only go all-out,” she quoted Su as saying.
She hopes that the new Cabinet can be “warm and tough” to face the many challenges to come, she said.
Tsai said she hopes that Chen can use his expertise in science to help cement Taiwan’s advantages in the semiconductor industry, further boost the nation’s competitiveness and stabilize the economy.
Meanwhile, rumors that Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) would switch posts are untrue, the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) reported.
Hsiao is to stay in Washington, where she would continue to play a key role in communicating with the US on behalf of Taiwan, it said.
The Liberty Times also reported that three more women would become ministers. Deputy Minister of Finance Chuang Tsui-yun (莊翠雲), Overseas Community Affairs Council Deputy Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) and Atomic Energy Council Deputy Minister Chang Ching-wen (張靜文) would be promoted to head their respective agencies, it said.
Ministers without portfolio Lin Wan-yi (林萬億), Chang Ching-sen (張景森), Wu Tze-cheng (吳澤成), John Deng (鄧振中), Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成), Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫), Huang Chih-ta (黃致達) and Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠) would retain their posts, it added.
Additional reporting by Tzou Jiing-wen and CNA
EXPRESSING GRATITUDE: Without its Taiwanese partners which are ‘working around the clock,’ Nvidia could not meet AI demand, CEO Jensen Huang said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and US-based artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer Nvidia Corp have partnered with each other on silicon photonics development, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said. Speaking with reporters after he met with TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) in Taipei on Friday, Huang said his company was working with the world’s largest contract chipmaker on silicon photonics, but admitted it was unlikely for the cooperation to yield results any time soon, and both sides would need several years to achieve concrete outcomes. To have a stake in the silicon photonics supply chain, TSMC and
IDENTITY: Compared with other platforms, TikTok’s algorithm pushes a ‘disproportionately high ratio’ of pro-China content, a study has found Young Taiwanese are increasingly consuming Chinese content on TikTok, which is changing their views on identity and making them less resistant toward China, researchers and politicians were cited as saying by foreign media. Asked to suggest the best survival strategy for a small country facing a powerful neighbor, students at National Chia-Yi Girls’ Senior High School said “Taiwan must do everything to avoid provoking China into attacking it,” the Financial Times wrote on Friday. Young Taiwanese between the ages of 20 and 24 in the past were the group who most strongly espoused a Taiwanese identity, but that is no longer
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake and several aftershocks battered southern Taiwan early this morning, causing houses and roads to collapse and leaving dozens injured and 50 people isolated in their village. A total of 26 people were reported injured and sent to hospitals due to the earthquake as of late this morning, according to the latest Ministry of Health and Welfare figures. In Sising Village (西興) of Chiayi County's Dapu Township (大埔), the location of the quake's epicenter, severe damage was seen and roads entering the village were blocked, isolating about 50 villagers. Another eight people who were originally trapped inside buildings in Tainan
SHARED VALUES: The US, Taiwan and other allies hope to maintain the cross-strait ‘status quo’ to foster regional prosperity and growth, the former US vice president said Former US vice president Mike Pence yesterday vowed to continue to support US-Taiwan relations, and to defend the security and interests of both countries and the free world. At a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Pence said that the US and Taiwan enjoy strong and continued friendship based on the shared values of freedom, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Such foundations exceed limitations imposed by geography and culture, said Pence, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time. The US and Taiwan have shared interests, and Americans are increasingly concerned about China’s
RSS