VZCZCXRO9543
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHIN #0582/01 1191001
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 281001Z APR 08
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8774
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8203
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 9546
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 9863
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 2637
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 1198
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 9444
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 2015
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 6605
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000582 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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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 
 
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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 
 
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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 
 
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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. 
 
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--  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