VZCZCXRO9543
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHIN #0582/01 1191001
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 281001Z APR 08
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8774
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8203
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 9546
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 9863
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 2637
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 1198
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 9444
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 2015
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 6605
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000582
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR TW
SUBJECT: MA GOVERNMENT TAKES SHAPE: SECOND TRANCHE OF
PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS
REF: TAIPEI 552
1. (SBU) Premier-designate Liu Chao-hsuan today, April 28,
announced the second tranche of eighteen appointments to his
new cabinet, which will take office on May 20 following the
swearing-in of President-elect Ma Ying-jeou and Vice
President-elect Vincent Siew (see reftel for first tranche).
Liu also stated he will announce the remaining few
appointments within the next several days. (Note: AIT will
follow up with more detailed cables and analysis on some of
the key figures, as well as the overall composition of the
cabinet. End note.)
The Cabinet
-----------
2. (SBU) Cabinet Appointments
-- Defense Minister Chen Chao-min, 68, was former Vice
Minister of Defense for Military Procurement. Born in
Changhua County, he is a graduate of the Taiwan Air Force
Academy and the National War College. Chen had previously
served as a strategic adviser to the President,
Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, and Commandant of the
Air Force Academy. Chen speaks English at the S-3 level.
-- Finance Minister Lee Shu-te, 57, is currently
Secretary-General of the Taipei City Government. Lee served
SIPDIS
as Deputy Director of the National Treasury, Chief Secretary
of the Taipei National Tax Administration, Director of the
Kaohsiung National Tax Administration, and Director of the
Taipei City Department of Finance. He received a B.A. in
accounting from Tamkang University and an M.B.A. from
Minnesota State University. Lee speaks English fluently
(S-4).
-- Education Minister Cheng Jui-cheng, 62, is former
President of National Chengchi University (NCCU). He
received his doctorate in public communications from Ohio
State University. Born in Ilan County, Cheng served as Dean
of the NCCU College of Mass Communication, Chairman of the
NCCU Radio and Television Foundation, and Professor and
Chairman of NCCU's Journalism Department. Cheng speaks
English fluently (S-4).
-- Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairperson Lai
Hsing-yuan, 52, is a former legislator representing the
deep-Green Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU). Born in Taichung
City, she obtained a masters in international relations from
the London School of Economics and a masters and doctorate in
Political Sociology from Sussex University. Lai served as
Senior Advisor to the National Security Council (2000-2004),
member of the Taipei City Government International Affairs
Commission (1999-2000), Associate Professor at Tamkang
University (1999-present), and Associate Researcher at the
Taiwan Institute for Economic Research (1996-2000). Lai
speaks English fluently (S-4). Lai's appointment has
provoked intense interest and varying interpretations. We
will report more on the significance of Lai's appointment
septel.
-- National Science Council Chairman Lee Lo-chuan, 61, is
currently President of National Central University. He
received a Ph.D. in physics from the California Institute of
Technology. Lee was a member of the Academia Sinica and
served as Director of the National Space Center. He speaks
English at the S-3 level.
-- Council for Hakka Affairs Chairman Huang Yu-chen, 56, is
currently Chairman of the KMT Culture and Publicity
Committee. Huang holds a B.A. in journalism from the Chinese
Culture University. He was Managing Editor of CTI Television
News Department, and Deputy Supervisor of the SET News
Department.
-- Minister without Portfolio Chang Chin-fu, 60, is
President of National Chi Nan University. He received his
Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of
California at Berkeley. Chang was formerly Vice Chairman of
the National Science Council when Premier-designate Liu was
Chairman. He speaks English at the S-3 level.
TAIPEI 00000582 002 OF 002
-- Minister without Portfolio Ovid Tseng (Chih-lang) is a
former Minister of Education. Born in Kaohsiung County in
1944, Tseng received a B.A. from NCCU, and a masters and
doctorate in education from Pennsylvania State University.
Tseng was Deputy Director of Academia Sinica, President of
SIPDIS
Yangming University, and Professor at the University of
California at Riverside. He speaks English fluently (S-4).
-- Central Personnel Administration Minister Chen Ching-hsiu
is former Chairman of the Taipei City Rules and Regulations
Commission. Chen earned an LL.B. and LL.D. from National
Taiwan University (NTU), where he became an associate
professor of law. He also served as Deputy Secretary of the
Administrative Law Society. Chen speaks English at the S-3
level.
-- Government Information Office (GIO) Minister Shih Ya-ping
is currently Vice Chairman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(MOFA) NGO Commission. He earned a bachelors and masters in
diplomacy from NCCU, and served as Taiwan's Deputy
Representative to Australia, Deputy Director of MOFA's
Protocol Department, and Secretary to former National
Security Council Secretary-General Ding Mou-shih. Shih
speaks English fluently (S-4).
-- Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman Chen Shu is
currently Chairman of the Taiwan Financial Research
Institute. He holds a doctorate in business administration
from NTU, and served as Administrative Vice Minister of
Finance, Counselor and Director of the Ministry of Finance
Secretariat, and Chief of the Finance Section of the
SIPDIS
Executive Yuan.
-- Vocational Assistance Commission for Retired Servicemen
(VACRS) Chairman Kao Hua-chu is a former VACRS Chairman
(2004-2007). Born in Shandong province in 1946, Kao
graduated from the Central Military Academy, the Army Command
and Staff College, and the War College. Kao served as Deputy
Chief of the General Staff for Logistics, Deputy CINC of the
Combined Services Forces, and Commanding General of the 10th
Army Corps.
-- Council for Cultural Affairs Minister Huang Pi-tuan is
former President of the National Tainan University of the
Arts. She was born in Fujian Province but raised in Taipei
City. Huang obtained a B.A. and M.A. in political science
from NTU and a Ph.D. in foreign literature from the
University of Wisconsin. She served as Chairman of the
Foreign Literature Department of National Sun Yat-sen
University, and Deputy Director the National Concert Hall and
National Theater. Huang speaks English fluently (S-4).
-- National Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Minister
Tai Hsia-ling, 46, is Dean of Studies of Taipei Municipal
University of Education. Tai earned a bachelors degree in
physical education from National Taiwan Normal University, a
masters from National Taipei College of Physical Education,
and a doctorate from Spalding University in Kentucky.
-- Atomic Energy Council Chairperson Tsai Chun-hung is
former Dean of the College of Atomic Science of National
Tsing Hua University.
SIPDIS
-- Research, Development and Evaluation Commission (RDEC)
Chairman Chiang Yi-hua is Professor of Political Science at
National Taiwan University.
-- Public Construction Commission Chairperson Fan Liang-hsiu
is Deputy Magistrate of Taoyuan County and a close associate
of Taoyuan Magistrate Eric Chu, who is himself close to
President-elect Ma Ying-jeou and is widely seen as one of the
KMT's likely future leaders.
-- National Palace Museum Curator Chou Kung-hsin is Dean of
the Graduate School of museum studies at Fu Jen University.
YOUNG