The Executive Yuan announced personnel changes to the Cabinet today, reshuffling deputy ministers at four government agencies.
At the Ministry of Finance (MOF), the open political deputy minister position will be filled by Wu Tang-chieh, vice chairman of the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC). Wu holds a bachelor's degree from the department of finance and taxation at National Chung Hsing University as well as a master's in finance from National Chengchi University. He has also studied at the school of law at the University of Wisconsin.
Prior to his post as FSC vice chairman, Wu served as vice chairman of the MOF's Securities and Futures Commission, director-general of the FSC's Securities and Futures Bureau, and secretary-general of the MOF. Wu promoted the development of cross-strait financial businesses and helped create a cross-strait financial supervisory cooperation platform. He also supervised the legislation of the Financial Consumer Protection Act, and helped set up the Financial Ombudsman Institution as well as a foreign exchange volatility reserve mechanism for the insurance industry.
For the FSC, the vice chairperson vacancy will be filled by Huang Tien-mu, director-general of the FSC's Securities and Futures Bureau. Huang has a bachelor of commerce from National Chengchi University, a master of law degree from National Sun Yat-sen University, and a doctorate in public administration from the University of Southern California.
Before serving at the Securities and Futures Bureau, Huang worked as deputy director-general of the MOF's Bureau of Monetary Affairs, interim director-general of the FSC's Examination Bureau, chief secretary of the FSC, and director-general of the FSC's Insurance Bureau. Experienced in financial administration, Huang helped establish a yuan-denominated bond market in Taiwan, promoted offshore securities and offshore banking businesses, and set up an exit mechanism for the insurance industry. He also pushed for greater social security through commercial insurance by promoting protection insurance, pension insurance and long-term care products.
At the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), current Political Deputy Minister Chang Hsien-yao has been appointed special deputy minister. Chang has a Ph.D. in politics from Université de Paris I in France, and has taught in Taiwan as assistant professor at Nan Hua University, Central Police University and Chinese Culture University. He also served on the board of the Straits Exchange Foundation and was a member of the sixth and seventh Legislative Yuan.
Chang comes with extensive experience in cross-strait and national security affairs. As a legislator, he pushed for several amendments to the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, which raised limits on mainland-bound investments and shortened mainland spouses' ROC citizenship waiting period from eight to four years. As MAC political deputy minister, he facilitated discussions on restrictions for mainland students in Taiwan, pushed to include mainland students in the national health insurance system, and promoted amendments concerning mainland spouses' ROC citizenship.
Succeeding Chang as political deputy minister will be Wu Mei-hung, currently spokesperson and secretary-general of the MAC. A graduate of National Taiwan University law school, she is a career public servant with an attorney's license. Wu received the model civil servant award in 2001 and was selected for short-term overseas training for officials in 2012. Wu built her career at the MAC where she rose through the ranks from specialist to director, garnering experience at the economic affairs department, policy planning department and legal affairs department.
At the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP), the political deputy minister position will be filled by Kao Yang-sheng, former director of the Executive Yuan's Eastern Taiwan Joint Services Center and himself a member of the Atayal group. While serving on the third and fourth Legislative Yuan, Kao championed many indigenous rights initiatives, including the establishment of the CIP and the Education Act for Indigenous Peoples. His 30 years of service to the Taitung, Hualien, Yilan and Taoyuan regions have given him unique experience and insights into indigenous affairs.
Meanwhile, the CIP administrative deputy minister spot will be assumed by Calivat Gadu, chief of the CIP's Taiwan Indigenous Peoples Cultural Park. A member of the Paiwan group, Gadu holds a bachelor of law degree from National Taiwan University and a master's degree in ethnology at National Chengchi University, where he was also a doctoral student. In addition to legal-related work at Taiwan Business Bank and Taiwan Provincial Government, he served at the Indigenous Peoples Commission of the Taipei City Government and held various supervisory positions at the CIP (at the secretariat office, planning division, and education and culture division).