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TAIPEI: Taiwan's incoming President Ma Ying-jeou said Monday he had chosen Liu Chao-shiuan, an academic and a former vice premier, to serve as prime minister in his new government.
Liu, 64, was deputy to then premier Vincent Siew -- and now the island's vice president-elect -- from 1997 to 2000. He is currently president of the private Soochow University in Taipei.
"Vice president-elect and I have reached consensus to invite Liu Chao-shiuan to serve as premier and Chiang Pin-kung as chairman of the semi-official Strait Exchange Foundation," said president-elect Ma of the Kuomintang (KMT), which trounced the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in March polls.
Liu received praise for his handling of disaster relief projects following Taiwan's worst earthquake in September 1999 that left some 2,400 people dead.
Known for his scholarly image, Liu was president of Tsinghua University before serving in various government posts, including as transport minister and national science council chief.
Liu returned to academics when the DPP ended the KMT's 51-year grip on power in 2000.
Chiang, 76, will become Taiwan's chief negotiator with China in his role at the Strait Exchange Foundation, which is responsible for handling cross-strait relations.
Ma and Siew will be sworn in on May 20. - AFP/ac
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