Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TAIPEI2266
2006-06-30 09:00:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:
NEW FINANCE MINISTER NAMED
how-toVZCZCXRO5802 RR RUEHCN RUEHGH DE RUEHIN #2266 1810900 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 300900Z JUN 06 FM AIT TAIPEI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0963 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5366 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 7907 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 7797 RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6575 RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 0221 RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 9403 RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 1312 RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 5274 RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
UNCLAS TAIPEI 002266
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE PASS USTR
USTR FOR WINTER AND WINELAND,
TREASURY PASS TO FEDERAL RESERVE/BOARD OF GOVERNORS,
AND SAN FRANCISCO FRB/TERESA CURRAN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EINV ETRD ECON PREL TW
SUBJECT: NEW FINANCE MINISTER NAMED
REF: A. A. TAIPEI 00261
B. B. TAIPEI 1462
UNCLAS TAIPEI 002266
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE PASS USTR
USTR FOR WINTER AND WINELAND,
TREASURY PASS TO FEDERAL RESERVE/BOARD OF GOVERNORS,
AND SAN FRANCISCO FRB/TERESA CURRAN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EINV ETRD ECON PREL TW
SUBJECT: NEW FINANCE MINISTER NAMED
REF: A. A. TAIPEI 00261
B. B. TAIPEI 1462
1. On January 29, Premier Su Tseng-chang appointed Ho
Chih-Chin, 54, Chairman of the Economics Department at
National Taiwan University as Finance Minister to replace
Joseph Lyu (Jye-Cherng). Lyu has only been in the position
for five months (ref B) and is the first Ministerial change
by Su since he took office January 25 this year. Lyu will be
reassigned as a Minister without Portfolio in the Executive
Yuan.
2. Premier Su praised the work of Lyu in the areas of
financial reform and public securities administration.
However, news reports paint Lyu as an ineffective Finance
Minister who avoided the press and accomplished little during
his tenure. Press reports highlighted recent scandals on his
watch, including insider trading charges involving Taiwan
Development Corporation and President Chen Shui-bian's
son-in-law, and the recent battle over management control of
state-owned Mega Holdings Financial Holding Company as
contributing to Lyu's downfall.
3. Ho is an expert in taxation and assisted former finance
minister Lin Chuan on tax reform policy, specializing in the
reform of inheritance and gift tax. According to news
reports, Ho, a former U.S. citizen, worked for the U.S.
Internal Revenue Service as an economist from 1990-2003,
specializing in tax reform. Ho also served as senior
economist at the U.S. Department of Justice from 1990-1998.
He gave up his U.S. citizenship when he returned to Taiwan in
2003 to teach at National Taiwan Univesity. He earned a
Bachelor's degree in Economics in 1974 from National Taiwan
University (his classmate was Chen Shui-Bian) and a doctorate
in economics in 1987 from the University of Michigan.
KEEGAN
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE PASS USTR
USTR FOR WINTER AND WINELAND,
TREASURY PASS TO FEDERAL RESERVE/BOARD OF GOVERNORS,
AND SAN FRANCISCO FRB/TERESA CURRAN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EINV ETRD ECON PREL TW
SUBJECT: NEW FINANCE MINISTER NAMED
REF: A. A. TAIPEI 00261
B. B. TAIPEI 1462
1. On January 29, Premier Su Tseng-chang appointed Ho
Chih-Chin, 54, Chairman of the Economics Department at
National Taiwan University as Finance Minister to replace
Joseph Lyu (Jye-Cherng). Lyu has only been in the position
for five months (ref B) and is the first Ministerial change
by Su since he took office January 25 this year. Lyu will be
reassigned as a Minister without Portfolio in the Executive
Yuan.
2. Premier Su praised the work of Lyu in the areas of
financial reform and public securities administration.
However, news reports paint Lyu as an ineffective Finance
Minister who avoided the press and accomplished little during
his tenure. Press reports highlighted recent scandals on his
watch, including insider trading charges involving Taiwan
Development Corporation and President Chen Shui-bian's
son-in-law, and the recent battle over management control of
state-owned Mega Holdings Financial Holding Company as
contributing to Lyu's downfall.
3. Ho is an expert in taxation and assisted former finance
minister Lin Chuan on tax reform policy, specializing in the
reform of inheritance and gift tax. According to news
reports, Ho, a former U.S. citizen, worked for the U.S.
Internal Revenue Service as an economist from 1990-2003,
specializing in tax reform. Ho also served as senior
economist at the U.S. Department of Justice from 1990-1998.
He gave up his U.S. citizenship when he returned to Taiwan in
2003 to teach at National Taiwan Univesity. He earned a
Bachelor's degree in Economics in 1974 from National Taiwan
University (his classmate was Chen Shui-Bian) and a doctorate
in economics in 1987 from the University of Michigan.
KEEGAN