[War] Republic of China (Taiwan): "Filling in the Gaps"

[Alan Tang]

“Filling in the Gaps”
President Tang Wai Kiat
Republic of China
September 20, 2006

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President Tang and his political staff sat around in the President’s office, 
climbing the walls and brainstorming potential candidates for the Premier’s 
Office and the Vice Presidency. They had spent three hours debating on the 
make up of their administration as well as a detailed agenda that would have 
to be manifested in the form of a working budget. “How about Lee Jye, the 
minister of national defense? He surely has the experience and has a good 
standing with the party and the LY” said Tang’s Chief of Staff Victor Shin.

”No” Tang said pacing around the room. ”He’s good with the defense portfolio 
but he’s doesn’t have the up and coming leadership material. He’s simply 
content on being a minister. What we want is someone who can carry their own 
in the Legislative Yuan and someone who also could rally the caucus and move 
forward with the constitutional reforms and if the time comes a sovereignty 
referendum. He needs to be our man…no questions, no doubts…”

”Lee Yi-Yang is our guy, the minister of the interior. He’s been around the 
block with the DPP and is a solid hardliner in support of an independent 
Taiwan. If the time were to ever come to play the referendum card he’ll be 
our guy, no questions asked. He’ll do what he’s told.”

Tang knew Lee well, they had been friends for decades and over the years had 
come to be known within the party as a solid backer in any of his policies 
during his time in the Premiership. He was loyal, intelligent and well aware 
of the detailed and often partisan workings of the Executive Yuan Council. 
He knew his place and from a policy point of view, his public views match 
his the most.  “Very well, make it happen.”

“Yes Mr. President, once Mr. Lee is sworn in we’ll have him on the new 
budget as soon as possible. We can expect him to shuffle the cabinet a 
little and make it his own…”

“No, no changes. I created that cabinet, I know who’s best at what they do. 
There’s no one in caucus that has any decent matching with their portfolios 
like my ten, seeing how the party is still fresh with this thing they call 
‘democracy’. Also see to it that Vice Premier Tsai Ing-wen is sworn in as 
the new Vice President. I want to keep that gender balance from the previous 
administration and also keep her at my right hand. We offer Annette Lu 
either a position in the party executive or keep her on as an administration 
‘advisor’. I don’t want to leave the ex vice hanging.”

Shin nodded in acknowledgement as he began flipping through the pages on his 
clipboard. “Very good Mr. President… next on the agenda is mainland China. 
There’s been news circulating that the UK has come to believe that they will 
advocate for the release of the arms embargo with the mainland. Though it’s 
anybody’s call if the embargo will drop, we’ll still need to have some kind 
of response to the people that we’re on the ball with defense.”

Tang paced around some more before he took a seat behind his grand desk. 
“The mainland will still need quite some time to acquire and train with any 
new equipment to match our combat effectiveness. However saying that they 
could take this island right now in sheer numbers, they just don’t have the 
political will to do it, with the US and Japan around the corner. For now 
all I want you to do is send a memo to the minister of national defense, 
have him draft up scenarios in the case that the mainland attacks with new 
and more advanced European equipment. I want a total defense review of our 
armed forces and our combat readiness due within the month. Also have him 
draft some options on buying more US and European military hardware.”

”Yes sir, on one final note. The Pope was originally announced on March 26, 
that he was to be scheduled for a three day visit in Taipei after a stopover 
from Hong Kong, the visit has been postponed pending the transition from the 
previous administration and-“

”No, the visit will go as planned. It would be a nice change of pace and 
some different meat for the media outlets, give them the go ahead and draft 
out a meet and greet session between Pope Benedict and I. State Official, 
the whole thing… if there’s nothing else I have a meeting with the General 
Staff of the Armed Forces”

”No sir, have a good meeting Mr. President”

Actions:

-appoint Lee Yi-Yang as Premier to the Executive Yuan (head of government)
-appoint Tsai Ing-Wen as Vice President of the Republic of China
-Publically announce a review of the ministry of defense and all ROC armed 
forces
-privately investigate the possibility of acquiring new military hardware in 
the event of the EU embargo of the PRC being dropped
-allow the state visit of Pope Benedict as planned