TAIWAN NSC AND PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE APPOINTMENTS:

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 000702 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2018 TAGS: PGOV PINR TW SUBJECT: TAIWAN NSC AND PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE APPOINTMENTS: MA'S KITCHEN CABINET REF: A. TAIPEI 552 ¶B. TAIPEI 582 ¶C. TAIPEI 657 Classified By: AIT Deputy Director Robert S. Wang, Reasons: 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Several long-time trusted advisers fill key positions in President Ma Ying-jeou's National Security Council (NSC) and Presidential Office. Like Ma's cabinet appointments (reftels),many of the new NSC and Presidential Office officials were educated in the U.S., have experience in academia, and have close ties to Ma. Their expert advice will be crucial as the new administration seeks to move quickly to achieve its cross-Strait and foreign policy goals. Most of the new NSC members lack government experience, however, which could complicate Ma's efforts to manage the national security policy process. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Long-time Ma advisor Su Chi heads the NSC team, which also includes three deputy secretary generals and five senior counselors. Su said on May 12 that the NSC would serve primarily as a "council of advisers" to Ma and would not actively insert itself into the policy implementation process. Su's comments were intended to differentiate himself from his predecessor, Chiou I-jen, who played a more direct and controversial role in politics and government affairs, most notably in the recent scandal over Taiwan's attempt to "buy" diplomatic relations with Papua New Guinea. At the same time, Su told AIT, he wanted to differentiate the Ma NSC from the Chen administration NSC, which rarely met with the President. ¶3. (C) According to the 1993 Organic Act which established the National Security Council, the NSC is the advisory body for the President to make decisions on major policies regarding national security issues. These issues include defense and cross-Strait and foreign relations. Although the NSC's formal role was limited under President Chen, some political insiders tell AIT they expect Ma to rebuild the NSC into an important advisory institution. Para 4 provides detailed biographical information on the new NSC lineup and para 5 covers the key Presidential Office officials. The NSC Lineup -------------- ¶4. (SBU) National Security Council Appointments: -- NSC Secretary-General Su Chi, 58, was a key strategist to Ma Ying-jeou during his presidential campaign, providing advice on international and cross-Strait affairs. Su formerly served as a legislator-at-large (2005-2008) and as a professor at Tamkang University (2000-2008). Earlier, he held numerous high-ranking positions in the KMT and in the government, including convener of the National Security Division of the KMT National Policy Foundation (2000-2004), chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) (1999-2000), Deputy Secretary General of the Presidential Office (1997-1999),and Minister of the Government Information Office (1996-1997). Su has a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University, an M.A. from Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A. from National Chengchi University. He is married with two children, and speaks English fluently (S-4 level). -- NSC Deputy Secretary General Ho Szu-yin, 51, was Director of the KMT Department of Overseas Affairs (2003-2008) and a professor of political science at National Chengchi University. Ho has also served as Director of National Chengchi University's Institute of International Relations and as a consultant to the MAC. Ho holds an M.A. and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a B.A. from National Taiwan University. Ho is married with three children and speaks English fluently (S-4 level). -- NSC Deputy Secretary General Lee Hai-tung, 60, is a career military officer, having served as fleet commander, chief of staff, and deputy commander-in-chief of the Taiwan navy. TAIPEI 00000702 002 OF 003 More recently, he was the deputy minister of national defense. Lee is a graduate of Taiwan's National War College. Lee's appointment brings expertise on military affairs, including military procurement from the U.S., to the NSC. -- NSC Deputy Secretary General Kao Chang, 61, was a professor of public administration at National Dong Hwa University and director of the First Institute of the Chung Hwa Institute for Economic Research. He received his Ph.D. in economics from New York State University. Kao provides Ma with expertise on cross-Strait economic and trade relations. -- NSC Counselor Chung Chien, 58, was a professor of nuclear engineering at National Tsing Hua University and served as chairman of the school's Department of Atomic Science. Chung previously taught at the National Defense Medical Center. He has a Ph.D. in nuclear chemistry from McGill University and a B.S. in nuclear engineering from Tsing Hua University. -- NSC Counselor Chen Teh-sheng, 49, was a researcher at National Chengchi University's Institute of International Relations. He was a visiting scholar at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Chen holds a Ph.D. in East Asian studies from National Chengchi University. His expertise is in the political and social dimensions of cross-Strait relations. -- NSC Counselor Tsai Hung-ming, 48, previously served as deputy secretary general of the Taipei-based Chinese National Federation of Industries. He has expertise on cross-Strait issues, having worked as an advisor to the MAC, as a researcher on the MAC's ad hoc committee on Hong Kong and Macao affairs, and on the research and development committee of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Tsai has an M.A. in management from National Cheng Kung University. -- NSC Counselor Philip Yang, 45, was a professor of political science at National Taiwan University and previously served as an advisor to the MAC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He holds a Ph.D. in international law from the University of Virginia and a B.A. from National Taiwan University. An international relations and Japanese specialist, he will likely focus on Taiwan-Japan and South Pacific affairs. Yang speaks both English (S-4) and Japanese fluently. -- NSC Counselor Chan Man-jung, 53, is the only woman appointed to the NSC leadership. She was an assistant professor in the Graduate School of American Studies at Tamkang University. She has also been chief of staff to the APEC Business Advisory Committee and secretary general of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council. Chan holds a Ph.D. in political economics from Boston University and speaks fluent English. Presidential Office -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Presidential Office Key Officials: -- Secretary General Chan Chun-po will head the Presidential Office after serving as Ma's presidential campaign director and chief of Ma's presidential transition team. Earlier, Chan directed Ma's successful 1998 and 2002 Taipei mayoral campaigns. Chan remains a Vice Chairman on the KMT Central Standing Committee, a position which he has held since January 2007. Chan, 67 years old, was born in Changhua County. He received his master's degree in political science from Harvard in 1970, and was an IV grantee in 1987. Chan is married and his two sons, both graduated from American universities. He has a fairly good command (S-4) of English. -- Deputy Secretary General Yeh Chin-chuan served as Taipei City Director of Public Health under Ma (1998-2000) and, after outstanding service during the SARS outbreak of 2003, returned to serve as Ma's deputy mayor (2004-2006). Yeh quit the deputy mayorship in an unsuccessful bid for the KMT nomination in the 2006 Taipei mayoral race. He told the press that he had declined Ma's original offer to head the TAIPEI 00000702 003 OF 003 Department of Health because he did not enjoy being in the limelight. Yeh, 58, is a high school classmate of Ma's. He has an M.D. from National Taiwan University and studied for his doctorate in public health at Harvard. He speaks English at the S-3 level. -- Deputy Secretary General Kao Lang, 53, is a longtime Ma confidant and a professor in Department of Political Science at National Taiwan University. Kao was an important speechwriter during Ma's presidential campaign. Reportedly, he also worked closely with Ho Szu-yin to draft the KMT's UN referendum proposal. Kao has a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Maryland and a B.A. and M.A. from National Taiwan University. Kao is married with one son, and speaks fluent English (S-4 level). -- Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi, 39, was a spokesperson for both Ma and Siew. Wang first came to Ma's attention during his tenure as mayor of Taipei. Wang received his J.S.D. from Indiana University-Bloomington and has been a professor of law at Shih Hsin University. YOUNG