National security adviser to take over as MAC head
ROC Central News Agency
2012/09/19 17:40:33
Taipei, Sept. 19 (CNA) National Security Adviser Wang Yu-chi will take over as head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) at the end of September, ruling Kuomintang (KMT) and government sources said Wednesday, amid reports that the current MAC head has been assigned to a new post.
Lai Shin-yuan, the incumbent head of the MAC, has been selected as Taiwan's permanent representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to replace Lin Yi-fu, who has resigned, according to the sources.
President Ma Ying-jeou's appointment of Wang, 43, to head Taiwan's main agency in charge of China policy is aimed at injecting new blood into the Cabinet, senior KMT officials said.
A politician with a strong academic background, Wang holds a bachelor's degree from National Taiwan University and a master's and Ph.D. from Indiana University.
He served as campaign spokesman for the KMT presidential ticket of Ma and Vincent Hsiao in the 2007-2008 campaign and was named Presidential Office spokesman after Ma took office in 2008.
According to KMT officials, Wang has deep understanding of President Ma's China policy and has helped draft Ma's statements on cross Taiwan Strait relations.
Wang's steady performance has earned Ma's trust and his experience as a national security advisor will help in the coordination between the MAC and the National Security Bureau, the KMT officials said.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Office also praised Lin's performance over the past seven years as Taiwan's permanent representative to the WTO, saying he had helped to expand economic and trade relations between Taiwan and other countries.
Lai, who will succeed Lin at the WTO, will bring to bear four years of experience as head of the MAC and will continue to promote the president's foreign policy ideas, according to KMT officials.
(By Kelven Huang and Ann Chen)
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