News: Taiwan News by Keoni Everington

Following the former health minister's entry into the Taipei mayoral race, the Cabinet on Friday (July 15) announced the new health minister and deputy health minister, as well as the new head of the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

On Sunday (July 10), Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) — who was head of both the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) and the CECC — announced he would be running as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate in this year's Taipei mayoral race. Earlier that day, a DPP election strategy committee meeting convened by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who doubles as the chairwoman of the DPP, nominated Chen as its candidate for Taipei mayor.

At a press conference on Friday, Cabinet Spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) announced that Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) has approved Chen's resignation. In his place, Hsueh Jui-yuan (薛瑞元) is taking over the post as health minister, while Victor Wang (王必勝) will serve as both deputy health minister and the new head of the CECC.

Hsueh graduated from the National Taiwan University College of Law and has been serving as the deputy minister of MOHW since August 2020. He moved through the ranks at the Bureau of Medical Affairs of the Department of Health, ultimately serving as director-general from 2004–2008. He then moved on to Shuang Ho Hospital of Taipei Medical University, where he acted as deputy superintendent from 2008-2015.