MA GOVERNMENT TAKES SHAPE: SECOND TRANCHE OF

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