Vice President Vincent Siew officiates as Sean Chen takes the reins of the cabinet from former Premier Wu Den-yih. (courtesy of the Government Information Office)

On February 6, President Ma Ying-jeou swore in Premier Sean Chen and his new cabinet. As the President expressed the hope that the new cabinet would bring peace of mind to the public, Premier Chen called for the creation of “an economy that enriches the people.”

Sean Chen is the first finance professional to serve as ROC premier. The 62-year-old Chen is an alumnus of National Taiwan University’s ­graduate program in law, where he was one class ahead of President Ma.

Chen was recruited into government service from his position as general manager of strategic planning at the Farmers’ Bank of China in 1989 by then finance minister Shirley Kuo, and quickly ascended to the rank of deputy finance minister.