Sat, Sep 30, 2023 page3

• Hou tells AmCham peace is top priority

  • Staff Writer, with CNA
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  The top priority for Taiwan’s leader is avoiding war with China at a time of escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait, said New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate.

  In a speech on Thursday delivered at the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (AmCham), Hou said Taiwan must avoid war with China, and that only when it is safe and stable, can in attract investors around the world to pour resources into the country.

  Hou said that if elected, he would maintain his long-held principles of safeguarding the country and bringing peace to the Taiwan Strait, and security and prosperity to Taiwan.

  

  Vice President William Lai, front, second right, Foxconn founder Terry Gou, front, third left, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi, front, fourth left, and Taiwan People’s Party chairman Ko Wen-je, front, fourth right, share a stage for the first time at a Taoist event at Baishatun Gong Tian Temple in Miaoli County yesterday.

  Photo: CNA

  Taiwan has to take proactive and pragmatic moves to strengthen its self-defense capabilities to avoid the threat of war, he said.

  At the same time, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should have dialogue and conduct exchanges to reduce conflicts with equality, dignity and friendship, he said.

  Under his proposed “3Ds strategy” of deterrence, dialogue and de-escalation, Taiwan would be able to facilitate peace and reduce risks, while continuing to cement ties with Washington and to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region, Hou said.

  Industries in Taiwan are facing a tremendous challenge on energy and electricity, and he advocated an orderly transition to renewable energy to secure energy supplies, he said.

  Hou said that he would carefully inspect and repair Taiwan’s three completed nuclear power plants, two of which have already been shut down for decommissioning, and establish a safety review committee to re-examine the decision to discontinue construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.

  Taiwan would also continue to pursue green energy development, while raising energy use efficiency by investing in energy conservation, storage, and smart electricity grid networks.

  He would also push the development of hydrogen power and small power plants in a bid to allow Taiwan to achieve net zero emissions.

  In other news, Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Thursday said if elected, he would extend compulsory education to include kindergarten, and high school or vocational education, in addition to the existing six years of elementary school and three years of junior-high school education.

  To promote bilingual education, Ko proposed training bilingual teachers through various channels, including government-funded programs.

  Free bilingual textbooks would also be available for grades 1 to 9, which would help bridge the resource gap between urban and rural areas, he added.

  Ko also said that there is need for legislation to standardize the pricing of school lunches and address disparities in subsidy funding across counties and cities in Taiwan.

  On Sept. 12, Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential candidate, said that if elected, he would implement tuition exemptions for senior-high schools and vocational schools.

  In addition to providing a fixed annual subsidy of NT$35,000 for tuition and miscellaneous fees to private college students, economically disadvantaged students attending public colleges and universities can receive exemptions of up to NT$20,000 or NT$55,000 if they are enrolled in private colleges, Lai said.
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