A development project on Chipei islet (吉貝嶼), Penghu County, should be suspended immediately because it could seriously damage the ecological system, conservationists said yesterday.
"What we see here is a solution for an unsatisfactory situation that actually makes things worse," Chen Yueh-fong (
According to Chen, the project is part of government attempts to replace dozens of log cabins on the islet, the result of unplanned tourism, with a huge development project calling for millions of dollars in investment.
Last July, the Public Construction Commission and the Penghu National Scenic Area Administration under the Ministry of Transportation and Communication's Tourism Bureau invited bids for the project, which aimed at boosting local tourism.
According to the ministry, the more than NT$300 million investment would turn 22 hectares of land and 210 hectares of surrounding sea into an international recreational tourist spot. Shopping malls, restaurants, a luxury five-star hotel containing 350 rooms and parking lots would be established.
The deadline for evaluating developers' bids was set for next Tuesday. In October, the official bidding will be held. Approved developers will be entitled to run the business on the islet for 50 years.
"Why does the government intend to make the islet a source of pollutants, which would affect not only surrounding waters but also neighboring countries?" said Chen, who is an ecology professor at Providence University.
If the project proceeds, Chen said, pollutants discharged from the islet affect the coastlines of Japan, China and even South Korea.
On Thursday, Chen launched a signature drive on the Internet against the proposals. The drive, called "Saving the auspicious treasure islet," has so far received an enthusiastic response from not only environmentalists but also people with diverse professional backgrounds.
Chen said the islet, near the midline of the Taiwan Strait, was unlikely to attract foreign tourists because of its sensitive strategic position.
"But it can be an excellent base for Taiwanese scientists working on hot international issues regarding long-term environmental change, such as the rising sea level," Chen said.
The coastline on the islet, Chen said, is retreating 3m a year because of global warming.
Green Formosa Front chairman Wu Tung-jye (
"The environmental impact assessment has not been done at all," Wu said.
According to Hung Chih-kuang (
"We have set aside 10 hectares of land for scientific activities," Hung said.
In addition, Hung said, the government and developers would jointly recycle all waste water and have all garbage either incinerated or buried at an existing landfill.
To further push the government to halt the project, environmentalists and ecological conservationists will protest in front of the Tourism Bureau in Taipei on Monday.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
The Philippines is working behind the scenes to enhance its defensive cooperation with Taiwan, the Washington Post said in a report published on Monday. “It would be hiding from the obvious to say that Taiwan’s security will not affect us,” Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro Jr told the paper in an interview on Thursday last week. Although there has been no formal change to the Philippines’ diplomatic stance on recognizing Taiwan, Manila is increasingly concerned about Chinese encroachment in the South China Sea, the report said. The number of Chinese vessels in the seas around the Philippines, as well as Chinese
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
RSS