The Executive Yuan held a joint handover ceremony Monday morning for the new premier and Cabinet ministers. Under the supervision of Vice President Chen Chien-jen, outgoing Premier Lai Ching-te handed the seal of office to incoming Premier Su Tseng-chang.
Premier Su said that he deeply appreciates Premier Lai's efforts to stabilize the political situation and respond swiftly to the public's mandate, and that he takes on the office's immense responsibility with a passion for the land and sense of duty to the nation and the people. In addition to thanking the departing premier and Cabinet for their hard work over the past year-plus, Premier Su expressed gratitude to the incoming Cabinet members for joining the team. The premier vowed to put an end to empty words, step out of his comfort zone, roll up his sleeves and dive into the work, forging ahead from the existing foundations. The team's sole objective is to deliver results that the public can see and feel, and his hope is that people will see this effort and lend greater support to the government.
Vice President Chen commended Premier Lai for formulating pragmatic policies, bringing practical solutions to problems, and undertaking reforms that have already yielded measurable results. He expressed admiration and appreciation to Premier Lai's entire team for their many toils and endeavors.
The key to the second half of President Tsai Ing-wen's term in office is to ensure that the people can see and share in the achievements of reform and economic development, the vice president continued. He expressed confidence that Premier Su would lead his governing team in vigorously tackling the tasks at hand and carry through to a successful conclusion of reforms, thereby improving the lives of the people and delivering an even more well-rounded prosperity.
Premier Lai in his remarks said that Taiwan now faces an uncertain geopolitical landscape, and domestically there are many pressing problems awaiting solutions. For Taiwan to enjoy a long and peaceful future, the Cabinet must focus efforts to solve problems on three distinct levels: reform of constitutional government, fostering a culture of party politics in which national interests reign as the highest priority, and uniting the nation to face China.