President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had a breakfast meeting with workers at the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Ma-anshan (馬鞍山), Pingtung County, yesterday on the second day of a two-day “energy inspection” tour aimed at raising public awareness about the energy challenges facing the country.
Ma listened to the views of the staff on nuclear power safety, the anti-nuclear power movement and their experiences at the plant.
Lee Yung-le (李永樂), who has worked at the plant for 35 years, said he has confidence in the safety of nuclear power in the nation.
Photo: CNA
Plant employees think that all three of the nation’s operational nuclear plants are working smoothly, which means they are safe, said Lee, who works in the nuclear reactor unit.
Lee said that if he met with members of anti-nuclear groups, he would tell them that he has lived in Hengchun (恆春), where the plant is located, since 1977 and his three children have grown up there.
“It is absolutely safe,” said Lee, who is about to retire soon.
Photo: CNA
Huang Chao-ting (黃朝丁), 50, said the operation and maintenance of the plant is carried out according to strict procedures to ensure safety.
Nai Yi-hsin (乃億欣), 25, said the plant has strict protective measures for the staff and there is no need to worry.
Ma said he was pleased to hear the views of young, middle-aged and older workers and to see that their morale has not been affected by the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster in Japan in 2011 and the long-running controversy surrounding the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.
He promised that if any safety problems arise at the new plant, which is still under construction, the government would not allow it start operations.
“Does Taiwan have any options given its lack of energy resources? If not, what should Taiwan do?” Ma said.
Tsai Fu-fong (蔡富豐), the chief engineer at Ma-anshan, said there are no seismic faults within a 35km radius of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.
The “energy tour” is aimed making the public more aware of the structure of the country’s energy sector, its future trends and the energy realities facing the world, Ma said.
The president and his tour group were scheduled to visit the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Gongliao (貢寮), New Taipei City (新北市), yesterday afternoon.
The president, Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺), Minister of Economic Affairs Chang Chia-juch (張家祝) and several journalists on Sunday visited a coal-fired power station and a solar power station in Greater Kaohsiung. They also went to a facility in Greater Kaohsiung where imported liquefied natural gas is stored.
Ma on Sunday stayed overnight at the Ma-anshan plant.
A decision to describe a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Singapore’s Taiwan policy as “erroneous” was made because the city-state has its own “one China policy” and has not followed Beijing’s “one China principle,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said yesterday. It has been a longstanding practice for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to speak on other countries’ behalf concerning Taiwan, Tien said. The latest example was a statement issued by the PRC after a meeting between Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on the sidelines of the APEC summit
Taiwan’s passport ranked 34th in the world, with access to 141 visa-free destinations, according to the latest update to the Henley Passport Index released today. The index put together by Henley & Partners ranks 199 passports globally based on the number of destinations holders can access without a visa out of 227, and is updated monthly. The 141 visa-free destinations for Taiwanese passport holders are a slight decrease from last year, when holders had access to 145 destinations. Botswana and Columbia are among the countries that have recently ended visa-free status for Taiwanese after “bowing to pressure from the Chinese government,” the Ministry
HEALTHCARE: Following a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, Taiwanese traveling overseas for six months would no longer be able to suspend their insurance Measures allowing people to suspend National Health Insurance (NHI) services if they plan to leave the country for six months would be abolished starting Dec. 23, NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday. The decision followed the Constitutional Court’s ruling in 2022 that the regulation was unconstitutional and that it would invalidate the regulation automatically unless the NHIA amended it to conform with the Constitution. The agency would amend the regulations to remove the articles and sections that allow the suspension of NHI services, and also introduce provisional clauses for those who suspended their NHI services before Dec. 23, Shih said. According to
‘GRAY ZONE’ TACTICS: China continues to build up its military capacity while regularly deploying jets and warships around Taiwan, with the latest balloon spotted on Sunday The US is drawing up contingency plans for military deployments in Japan and the Philippines in case of a Taiwan emergency, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported. They would be incorporated in a first joint operation plan to be formulated in December, Kyodo reported late on Sunday, citing sources familiar with Japan-US relations. A US Marine Corps regiment that possesses High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems — a light multiple rocket launcher — would be deployed along the Nansei Island chain stretching from Kyushu to Yonaguni near Taiwan, Kyodo said. According to US military guidelines for dispatching marines in small formations to several locations,
RSS