The Executive Yuan on Friday announced five changes to the Cabinet lineup: Presidential Office Secretary-General Joseph Wu will replace David Lee as minister of foreign affairs; National Security Council Secretary-General Yen De-fa will replace Feng Shih-kuan as minister of national defense; Kaohsiung City Deputy Mayor Hsu Ming-chun is to take over as minister of labor, replacing Lin Mei-chu, who has resigned for health reasons; Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chang Hsiao-yueh will be replaced by Chen Ming-tong, a professor at National Taiwan University (NTU); and former chief of the general staff Chiu Kuo-cheng will replace Lee Shying-jow as minister of the Veterans Affairs Council.
All new appointments will take effect Monday, with the exception of the mainland affairs minister, who will not take office until mid-March due to personnel transfer procedures and his teaching obligations. Until then, MAC Deputy Minister Lin Cheng-yi will step in as acting minister of the council.
The new Foreign Minister Wu possesses a Ph.D. in political science from Ohio State University, and had previously served as a professor at National Chengchi University (NCCU), a research fellow at the NCCU Institute of International Relations, minister of the MAC, representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S., secretary-general of the National Security Council, and secretary-general to the president.
Incoming Defense Minister Yen graduated from the ROC Military Academy in 1975 and completed his training at the National Defense University's (NDU) Army Command and Staff College and War College. He previously served as secretary-general and senior advisor of the National Security Council, chief of the general staff of the Ministry of National Defense (MND), and commanding general of Army Command Headquarters.
New Labor Minister Hsu graduated with a bachelor of laws degree from National Taiwan University and had served as deputy mayor of Kaohsiung, as well as director of the Information Department, director-general of the Legal Affairs Bureau, and an advisor of the Labor Affairs Bureau, all within the Kaohsiung City Government.
Incoming Mainland Affairs Minister Chen has a Ph.D. in political science from NTU and currently teaches at the NTU Graduate Institute of National Development. A former minister and deputy minister of the MAC, Professor Chen is well-versed in cross-strait affairs and exchange matters and has numerous publications on the topic. He returns to the MAC with a wealth of experience at the helm, and is expected to bring a new path and new vision to the work of cross-strait affairs.
New Veterans Affairs Minister Chiu graduated from the ROC Military Academy, the NDU Army Command and Staff College and War College, and the U.S. Army War College. He previously served at the MND as chief of the general staff, commanding general of Army Command Headquarters, and deputy minister for armaments.