In February 1993, President Lee Teng-hui nominated Lien Chan, the governor of Taiwan province, to be the next president of the Executive Yuan (the premier). His nomination as premier was officially approved by a 76 percent majority in the Legislative Yuan.
The new premier comes from a prestigious family in the southern city of Tainan. His grandfather was a noted historian of Taiwan, and his father held many political positions in the early years of the island's development after World War II. Lien Chan was born on August 27, 1936, in Sian, Shensi Province, while his father was on a fifteen-year sojourn on the mainland. Lien moved to Taiwan at age 10. He graduated from National Taiwan University, then earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in political science at the University of Chicago, graduating in 1965.
The new premier has had a distinguished career in both academia and government, including service as the director of the Graduate Institute of Political Science at National Taiwan University, ambassador to El Salvador, minister of communications, and minister of foreign affairs.
The new cabinet under Premier Lien was formally appointed by President Lee as follows:
The New Cabinet
Premier: Lien Chan (new)
Vice Premier: Hsu Li-teh (new)
Minister of the Interior: Wu Poh-hsiung
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Fredrick Chien
Minister of Defense: Sun Chen (new)
Minister of Finance: Lin Chen-kuo (new)
Minister of Education: Kuo Wei-fan (new)
Minister of Justice: Ma Ying-jeou (new)
Minister of Economics: Chiang Pin-kung (new)
Minister of Transportation & Communications: Liu Chao-shiuan (new) Chairman of the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission: Chang Jiunn-yih (new)
Chairman of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission: John Chang (new)
Cabinet Secretary-General: Lee Hou-kao (new)
Ministers of State: Shirley Kuo, Wang Chou-ming, Vincent Siew (new), Huang Kun-huei, Huang Shih-cheng, Hsia Han-min (new), Chiu Hungdah (new)
Director-General of the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting & Statistics: Wang Kun (new)
Director-General of the Central Personnel Administration: Chen Keng-chin (new)
Director-General of the Government Information Office: Jason Hu Director-General of the Department of Health: Chang Po-ya
Chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development: Vincent Siew (new)
Chairman of the Vocational Assistance Commission for Retired Servicemen: Chou Shih-pin (new)
Chairman of the National Youth Commission: Yin Shih-hau (new) Chairman of the Atomic Energy Council: Hsu Yih-yun
Chairman of the National Science Council: Kuo Nan-hung (new)Chairman of the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission: Sun Te-hsiung
Chairman of the Council of Agriculture: Sun Ming-hsien
Chairwoman of the Council for Cultural Planning and Development: Shen Hsueh-yung (new)
Chairman of the Council of Labor Affairs: Chao Shou-po
Chairman of the Environmental Protection Administration: Chang Lung-sheng
Chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council: Huang Kun-huei
Governor of Taiwan Province: James Soong (new)
Mayor of Taipei City: Huang Ta-chou
Mayor of Kaohsiung City: Wu Den-yih