New Economic and Finance Vice Ministers

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 002880 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE PLEASE PASS USTR STATE FOR EAP/RSP/TC, EAP/EP USTR FOR ALTBACH USDOC FOR 3132/USFCS/OIO/EAP/WZARIT TREASURY FOR OASIA/LMOGHTADER TREASURY PLEASE PASS TO OCC/AMCMAHON TREASURY ALSO PASS TO FEDERAL RESERVE/BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND SAN FRANCISCO FRB/TERESA CURRAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EINV EFIN ECON PINR TW SUBJECT: New Economic and Finance Vice Ministers REF: TAIPEI 2634 ¶1. Summary: Following the promotion of Steve Chen from Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) Political Vice Minister to Minister (reftel),the Executive Yuan (EY) shifted Shih-Yen Shiang (Note: Shih-Yen is his family name.) from MOEA Administrative Vice Minister to MOEA Political Vice Minister and transferred Hsieh Fa-dah from Political Vice Chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development to MOEA Administrative Vice Minister. Shih-Yen will be in charge of industrial development, while Hsieh will oversee trade and international relations. The EY also promoted Ministry of Finance (MOF) National Treasury Director General Liu Teng-cheng to MOF Administrative Vice Minister. Liu will replace Gordon Chen, who was recently designated Chairman of the Taiwan Stock Exchange. End Summary. Political Vice Minister of MOEA: Shih-Yen Shiang -------------- --- ¶2. Shih-Yen, 56, has served as MOEA Administrative Vice Minister overseeing industrial policies and technology development for four and a half years. He joined MOEA 20 years ago and served as Director General (DG) of the Department of Industrial Technology 1989-1992, and DG of the Department of Small and Medium Enterprises 1992-1996 before he was transferred to the Ministry of Finance in January 1996. Four years later, Shih-Yen was transferred back to the MOEA to serve as DG of the Industrial Development Bureau. Shih-Yen earned a BS in chemistry from National Taiwan University (NTU) and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a devout Buddhist and lives a simple life. He rarely participates in social activities. He neither smokes nor drinks. Administrative Vice Minister of MOEA: Hsieh Fa-dah -------------- -------------- ¶3. Hsieh, 56, will replace Shih-Yen as Administrative Vice Minister of the MOEA after Shih-Yen is inaugurated as Political Vice Minister. Hsieh has served as Political Vice Chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) for four and a half years. Former Economic Minister Lin Hsin-I recruited Hsieh from the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) to serve as Secretary General of the MOEA. When promoted to Vice Premier in February 2002, Lin Hsin-I promoted Hsieh to Political Vice Chairman of the CEPD. Hsieh was appointed as Director of the BOFT's 3rd Department (in charge of multilateral and regional issues) in 1997 and promoted to Director General of the MOEA's International Cooperation Department in 1998. Prior to 1997, he spent nearly 20 years posted to trade offices in foreign countries, including the United States, Australia and South Africa. Hsieh earned a BA in 1973 and an MA in 1977 both in economics from National Chengchi University. Administrative Vice Minister of MOF: Liu Teng-cheng -------------- -------------- ¶4. Liu, 56, will replace Gordon Chen to serve as MOF Administrative Vice Minister. Liu has served as Director General of the National Treasury for four years. His management of state-owned equity shares and privatization issues has won praise from both ruling and opposition parties. From November 2000 to April 2002, Liu served as Director of the MOF Taxation Training Institute. Liu worked at the Taiwan Provincial Government (TPG) for 26 years until the TPG was phased out in late 1999. He joined TPG as a legal officer in 1974 and was subsequently promoted to Deputy Commissioner of the Provincial Department of Finance (PDF) in 1995, and to Acting PDF TAIPEI 00002880 002 OF 002 Commissioner in 1998. Liu earned a BBL in 1974 and an MBA in 2002 from National Taiwan University (NTU). He is smart but easygoing. YOUNG