Premier-designate Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday announced five members of his future Cabinet, including former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) and writer Li Yuan (李遠), who are to lead the ministries of the interior and culture respectively.
Cho, who on Wednesday was named premier-designate by president-elect William Lai (賴清德), made the announcement at a news conference in Taipei.
Cho said that Executive Yuan Secretary-General Li Meng-yen (李孟諺) would be minister of transportation and communications and National Sun Yat-sen University president Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) would be minister of education.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Taipei Chief District Prosecutors Cheng Ming-chien (鄭銘謙) is to serve as minister of justice, Cho said.
The new appointees all have solid track records in their respective professional fields and have exhibited the ability to fulfill their tasks, he said.
“We aim to continue developing Taiwan based on its existing foundation, and to find new approaches for old issues while identifying effective solutions when we come up against new challenges,” Cho said.
Cho commended Liu for her emergency response abilities, which he attributed to her extensive experience serving in the local governments of Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung and Penghu County.
Cheng Ming-chien previously led the Ministry of Justice’s Agency Against Corruption and therefore has solid knowledge of the ministry’s operations, he said.
Li Meng-yen was named minister of transportation and communications due to his strong communication and coordination skills gained through years of serving as the Cabinet’s secretary-general and due to his civil engineering expertise, Cho said.
Li Yuan, better known by his pen name Hsiao Yeh (小野), is an acclaimed novelist and scriptwriter who has worked across various mediums over the years, including literature, cinema and theater, he said.
Cho expressed hope that Li Yuan would use his extensive network of contacts to promote a “culturally sustainable Taiwan.”
Cheng Ying-yao has extensive experience working in higher education and government education agencies, and would strive to elevate the competitiveness of Taiwanese students and enhance the research capabilities of universities, Cho said.
DPP sources said that the selection of Li Yuan and Cheng Ming-chien shows that Lai would be choosing ministers based on their talent, not on party affiliation.
However, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said the appointment of the new premier and Cabinet ministers fell short of the public’s expectations for Lai’s government to be a fresh start.
KMT Legislator Hung Mong-kai (洪孟楷) questioned the competence of those appointed and said that many of them were given important roles in the Cabinet because they had previously worked for DPP local governments in Tainan and Kaohsiung.
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
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
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
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS