Tang Fei

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tang Fei
Premier of the Republic of China
In office May 20, 2000 – October 16, 2000
Preceded by	Vincent Siew
Succeeded by	Chang Chun-hsiung

Born	March 15, 1933 (age 73)
Political party	Kuomintang

Tang Fei 唐飛 (born March 15, 1933) was the premier of the Republic of China between May 20 to October 16, 2000 under the Chen Shui-bian Government, even though he was a member of the Kuomintang (KMT). Chen's appointment of Tang as premier was commonly viewed as an attempt to cooperate with KMT, for his administration to be viewed as one encompassing multiple political views, and to assauge concerns domestically, internationally, and by the People's Republic of China that Chen would immediately declare independence.

Tang resigned on October 16, 2000 citing poor health. However, it was commonly viewed as the result of frustration from his relatively lack of control over members of his cabinet, the vast majority of whom were selected by Chen, not Tang, and inability to affect Chen's executive decisions. It was also suspected that while both Tang and Chen portrayed Tang's departure as having been initiated by Tang, Chen actually asked Tang to resign. The conflict might have been precipitated by Chen's decision to halt construction of a controversial nuclear power plant, planned during Lee Teng-hui's administration but opposed by Chen's Democratic Progressive Party, while Tang favored its continued construction.

After Tang's resignation as premier, he was invited back to the KMT, but despite an immediate visit back to the party headquarters, he never reregistered his party membership under KMT Chairman Lien Chan's reregistration drive, and therefore is no longer a member of the KMT. He has been a visiting scholar at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

During the earlier Lee administration, Tang served as defense minister.