With Such a Cabinet, What Difference Would It Make Who Is Deputy Premier?

With Such a Cabinet, What Difference Would It Make Who Is Deputy Premier?

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

June 18, 2020

 Translation of an Excerpt

Chen Chi-mai resigned yesterday as deputy premier, heading south to enter the Kaohsiung City mayoral by-election campaign; Economics Minister Shen Rong-chin has been tapped to fill his vacancy. Chen Shih-chung, commander of the Epidemic Command Center, who had been speculated for the job, did not come out as expected. Such a development is not surprising: first, if a Cabinet officer who had achieved enormous accomplishments, shaking the big boss while carrying a glowing halo, were designated as deputy, would that be normal in officialdom? Second, Chen Shih-chung has been more than stable in pandemic prevention, yet being inadequate in wisdom and openness, and his ability is yet to be tested. Third, after his reckless approach in setting ceilings for medical device expenses to be paid by the patients, he was kicked from the Pantheon by Tsai Ing-wen.

When Shen Rong-chin was tapped as the next deputy premier, the external circles immediately reported voices of plaudits, such as "fiscal-economic cabinet" and "ambitions for exhibiting revitalization". Such lines are probably wishful thinking, mostly overdoing it. With Su Tseng-chang's cool character as a top executive, what he has always cared about is the implementation of orders and seeing them through to the tee. Economic development is only a secondary goal for him; would he care about the euphemism of "fiscal-economic Cabinet"? Furthermore, with the DPP’s consistent instinct of politics overriding economics, even the fiscal-economic Cabinet headed by Lin Chuan, Tsai Ing-wen’s confidante, was short-lived. With Shen Rong-chin’s low-key, “ojiisan” style political appointee, how could we expect any grand, far-reaching plans?

With such a government, what difference does it make who will be the deputy premier?

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