Cabinet to be reshuffled today

Taiwan’s new Executive Yuan lineup was announced on Sunday, a group which will strive to be “in touch with the public” and committed to promoting young politicians, according to Cabinet spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka.

Several ministers will retain their posts under new Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), including Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), Culture Minister Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君), Minister of National Defense Yen De-fa (嚴德發), Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chen Ming-tong (陳明通), and minister without portfolio Audrey Tang (唐鳳).

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Credit: Pixabay

Minister without portfolio Audrey Tang, better known as Taiwan's first 'digital minister.'

Minister of Labor Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春) and Minister of Science and Technology Chen Liang-gee (陳良基) will also stay on. Former Taipei mayor Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) will become the Minister of Transport and Communications, and Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) will take up his previous post as minister of education, a position that has seen high turnover under President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).

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Credit: Taiwan Presidential Office

Premier Su Tseng-chang speaks on Jan. 10 after taking the reins from the outgoing William Lai (賴清德).

Incoming Executive Yuan secretary-general Li Meng-yen (李孟諺), speaking alongside Kolas at a Jan. 13 news conference, said the new lineup would emphasize the “livelihood of the people, protection of democracy and defense of the nation’s sovereignty.”

Han Kuo-yu wants you to feel the love in Kaohsiung

50 men will be invited to jump into Kaohsiung’s Love River by the administration of mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) to show their will to “fall in love.”

The plan was announced by Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau Director Pan Heng-hsu (潘恆旭) on Friday, who said it’s part of a larger effort to promote the city’s “love industry” as part of Han’s campaign platform of making Kaohsiung a romantic city.

Hotels will serve meals for couples by a “Love” art installation by the river that will serve as a “check-in point” for social media, according to the Taipei Times. Han also plans to ask romance novelist Chiung Yao (瓊瑤) to serve as chief consultant for Kaohsiung’s love industry.

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Credit: Depositphotos

Jump in the name of love!

Taiwan think tank joins ‘quantum alliance’

Taiwan’s government-funded Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR) think tank announced Friday it would join the Hudson Institute’s Quantum Alliance Initiative (QAI) to respond to the growing threat of quantum computing.

Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), chief of INDSR’s Division of National Defense Resources and Initiatives, said in a press release that the QAI is a “critical alliance in science and technology among democratic countries.”

QAI aims to develop policies for the United States and its allies to become global leaders in quantum technology, creating a shared set of standards to build a quantum ecosystem and mutually prepare for the threat to cybersecurity posed by quantum computing.

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Editor: Nick Aspinwall (@Nick1Aspinwall)

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