The Executive Yuan denies rumors of a cabinet reshuffle under Lai Ching-te, stating it is focused on addressing international challenges.

Taiwan • Politics • 05/05 11:30
The Executive Yuan denies rumors of a cabinet reshuffle under Lai Ching-te, stating it is focused on addressing international challenges.

Media reports suggest that Taiwan's Vice President Lai Ching-te might conduct a cabinet reorganization after May 20, involving several heads of ministries, which has drawn attention. Cabinet spokesperson Li Hui-chih dismissed this rumor on May 5, calling it misinformation and emphasizing that there are no plans for such a reorganization. The Cabinet is currently focused on addressing the impact of U.S. tariffs and international developments on Taiwan, and is promoting a special act on economic, social, and national security resilience to stabilize the situation.

Key Updates

17h ago

Premier Cho Jung-tai of the Executive Yuan firmly supports energy transition and calls on the Legislative Yuan to allocate NT$100 billion to Taipower to stabilize electricity prices.

On May 9, 2025, Premier Cho Jung-tai reiterated in an exclusive interview that the government's second energy transition policy is correct. He emphasized the allocation of NT$100 billion to Taiwan Power Company to offset losses and stabilize electricity rates, thereby preventing industries from facing pressure due to electricity rates and tariffs. Taiwan Power Company promised not to raise electricity rates this year if the allocation is granted. With the decommissioning of the No. 2 unit at the Third Nuclear Power Plant, Taiwan has entered a nuclear-free era, drawing attention to energy policies. Cho Jung-tai urged the Legislative Yuan to support the allocation proposal, emphasizing the importance of advancing green energy development alongside maintaining power stability.

05/09 11:04

President of Taiwan, William Lai, is promoting the integration of smart medical care and health tech, with the goal of creating a trillion-dollar biomedical industry.

On May 9, 2025, President Lai Ching-te announced at the "2025 Biotechnology Strategy Annual Conference" that the government will promote the biomedical industry to become Taiwan's "national treasure" through smart healthcare and health technology, incorporating it into the core policy blueprint. President Lai emphasized the importance of cross-sector integration, regulatory easing, and technology application, and expressed gratitude for the support of the National Biotechnology and Medical Industry Promotion Association. On the same day, he attended the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, noting that the different ways countries commemorate the day reflect the diversity of historical interpretations.

05/08 23:02

Taiwan's Long-term Care 3.0 Initiative Set to Begin in 2026: Tackling Workforce Shortages and Gaps in Assessing Patients with Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to implement the "Long-term Care 3.0" policy in 2026 to address manpower shortages with measures like tiered task allocation, improving salaries, and introducing assistive devices and smart technology. The new policy will expand services to cover early-onset dementia and stroke patients and encourage middle-aged and older adults to get involved. However, there are calls for system integration due to inconsistent eligibility criteria for osteogenesis imperfecta patients between the disability assessment system and the long-term care assessment system.

05/07 23:02

Taiwan's flexible parental leave pilot program receives a cold reception: Only 24 companies have applied, with complicated procedures and staffing issues being the main reasons.

The Ministry of Labor has been piloting the "Flexible Unpaid Parental Leave" system since May 9, 2023, allowing leave to be taken on a day-by-day basis to help parents cope with unexpected childcare needs. By the end of the year, 89 companies participated, but only 24 actually applied for leave, resulting in a total of 212 leave instances, with an average leave duration of less than three days. Companies reported that the application process is cumbersome and that making staffing adjustments is challenging, which affects their willingness to use the system. The Ministry of Labor is collecting feedback and considering a redesign of the system.

05/07 13:02

The Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party's proposal to remove the budget for Taipower's subsidies has ignited a political battle: The Democratic Progressive Party is concerned about rising electricity prices, while the Taiwan People's Party criticizes the energy policy for its mistakes.

The Executive Yuan proposed a special bill amounting to 410 billion NT dollars, and the Kuomintang and the Taiwan People's Party proposed to remove the 100 billion NT dollar allocation for Taipower, sparking a debate between the ruling and opposition parties. The Democratic Progressive Party criticized this move, claiming it would lead to an increase in electricity prices, affecting small and medium-sized enterprises and the general economy, and accused the opposition of broadly distributing cash, which does not contribute to industrial transformation. The Taiwan People's Party countered, arguing that the pressure on electricity prices is due to flawed energy policies, and advocated for reforms in nuclear and green energy policies to resolve Taipower's deficit problems.

05/07 09:03

William Lai proposed five major policies ahead of Mother's Day: focusing on childcare, youth development, and developing the nursing workforce.

President William Lai proposed five major policies at the Democratic Progressive Party's Central Executive Committee meeting on May 7, focusing on family care, youth development, and the medical workforce. The policies include strengthening social investment, promoting parental leave and subsidies, enhancing childcare services, passing the draft of the "Youth Basic Law," and initiating an NT$275 billion nursing workforce plan, along with advocating for the legal establishment of nurse-to-patient ratios. These measures aim to meet the needs of modern families, support the next generation, and strengthen the care system.

05/06 11:06

The cabinet of Cho Jung-tai is under pressure for a reshuffle—the heads of five ministries may be replaced; the formation of a combat cabinet is imminent.

Premier Cho Jung-tai's cabinet is facing pressure for a reshuffle, with rumors suggesting the government will transform into a "war cabinet" to address the nationwide recall election and legislative by-elections. Five ministers, including Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Chih-hui, have been named as possible candidates for replacement. The Executive Yuan clarified that the reshuffle rumors are false, but public pressure continues to rise. The "Apple Poll" is open for voting to gauge public satisfaction with governance and opinions on the potential reshuffle. The poll is open until 3 PM on May 9.

05/05 11:30

The Executive Yuan denies rumors of a cabinet reshuffle under Lai Ching-te, stating it is focused on addressing international challenges.

Media reports suggest that Taiwan's Vice President Lai Ching-te might conduct a cabinet reorganization after May 20, involving several heads of ministries, which has drawn attention. Cabinet spokesperson Li Hui-chih dismissed this rumor on May 5, calling it misinformation and emphasizing that there are no plans for such a reorganization. The Cabinet is currently focused on addressing the impact of U.S. tariffs and international developments on Taiwan, and is promoting a special act on economic, social, and national security resilience to stabilize the situation.

05/05 03:06

The Mayor of Taipei, Chiang Wan-an, Leads in Online Presence: Calls on the Government to Address High Tariffs from the US and Internal Challenges

In April 2025, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an had the highest online visibility among county and city leaders in Taiwan and became a political focal point due to his shift from a moderate to a more hardline stance. He openly criticized the Democratic Progressive Party in the city council and urged the government to tackle the high tariffs imposed by the United States and domestic challenges, and called for an end to political infighting. Chiang Wan-an emphasized that his words and actions reflect the opinions of the grassroots and expressed support for Kuomintang legislators facing recall efforts, and urged the central government to focus on livelihood issues.

05/04 13:01

Legislative Yuan President Han Kuo-yu reaffirmed the economic slogan at the labor appreciation event, highlighting the crucial role of labor in Taiwan's economy.

On May 4, 2025, President of the Legislative Yuan Han Kuo-yu attended the National Labor Union Federation's "2025 Model Worker Commendation Conference" in Taipei, emphasizing the reliance of Taiwan's economy on the hard work of its labor force and urging the government to focus on the labor needs of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as traditional industries. He reiterated the economic slogan, "Goods must be exported, and people must be welcomed," and highlighted the pressure U.S. tariffs place on Taiwan's small and medium-sized enterprises, urging the government to offer more support to tackle international trade challenges.

Rumors Swirl: Cabinet Reshuffle Speculation Resurfaces

As May 20 approaches, some media reports suggest that President Lai Ching-te plans to conduct a cabinet reshuffle after his first anniversary in office to prepare for the upcoming recall vote and legislative by-election, transforming the cabinet into a "combat-ready" one. The reports name potential replacements, including Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Tzu-hui, Minister of the Interior Liu Shih-fang, Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan, Minister of National Defense Koo Li-hsiung, and National Development Council Chairperson Liu Ching-ching, while Premier Cho Jung-tai is expected to remain in his position.

This rumor has quickly sparked heated discussions in political circles and the media, with some opposition party members seizing the opportunity to criticize the current cabinet's performance, urging the president to prioritize the welfare of the people and adjust cabinet personnel.

Executive Yuan Firmly Denies: False Information, Mere Speculation

In response to the rumors, Executive Yuan spokesperson Lee Hui-chih publicly stated on May 5 that the related reports are "false information, mere speculation," emphasizing that there are currently no plans for a cabinet reshuffle. She urged the media to commit to fact-checking to avoid misleading the public with speculative content.

Lee Hui-chih pointed out that the current primary task of the executive team is to actively respond to the impact of the U.S. reciprocal tariff policy and changes in the international situation on Taiwan's industries and society. To this end, the Executive Yuan proposed the "Special Act to Strengthen Economic, Social, and Homeland Security Resilience in Response to International Situations" on April 24, aiming to provide the most robust support for Taiwanese society through four main pillars: "supporting industries," "supporting people's livelihoods," "stabilizing employment," and "enhancing resilience."

Special Act Draft: Stabilizing Society, Enhancing Resilience

According to the Executive Yuan's explanation, the special act draft aims to address the significant shifts in the global economic and trade landscape, particularly the potential impact of the U.S. reciprocal tariff policy on Taiwan's export industries. The draft covers four main pillars:

  1. Supporting Industries: Assisting businesses in responding to changes in export markets, providing funding and technical upgrade support.
  2. Supporting People's Livelihoods: Stabilizing prices and ensuring basic living needs.
  3. Stabilizing Employment: Promoting employment transformation and skills training to reduce unemployment risks.
  4. Enhancing Resilience: Improving the risk resistance capabilities of homeland security and social infrastructure.

The Executive Yuan expressed hope that the legislative caucuses of all parties will support the draft to provide a solid backing for Taiwan's industries and society.

Named Cabinet Members Respond: Calm and Composed

Regarding the media's naming of potential cabinet members to be replaced, Minister of the Interior Liu Shih-fang, when attending the Legislative Yuan's Internal Affairs Committee on May 5, responded briefly to media inquiries with "Thank you for your input" and "I don't know, please ask Premier Cho," without directly addressing whether she was aware or intended to resign.

Similarly named, Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Tzu-hui and other cabinet members have not publicly responded to the rumors. The Executive Yuan reiterated that there are currently no plans for a cabinet reshuffle and will continue to focus on policy promotion and social stability.

Political Reactions: Continuous Criticism from Opposition Parties

Despite the Executive Yuan's clear denial of the reshuffle rumors, some opposition party members continue to criticize the current cabinet's performance. People's Party Legislative Caucus Leader Huang Kuo-chang stated that what people need is a "government that understands public opinion and gets things done," rather than a "combat-ready cabinet" or a "fighting rooster government." He also named Premier Cho Jung-tai, suggesting he should "know when to step up and step back."

KMT legislator Wu Tsung-hsien criticized the DPP government for "valuing loyalty over professionalism," arguing that under the current international economic pressure, professional ability and policy execution should be prioritized.

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