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Evergreen chairman says shipping industry ignored

Shipping tycoon Chang Yung-fa (張榮發), chairman of the Evergreen Group, lashed out at the Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) administration yesterday for what he said was long-term negligence in shipping policy.

Chang said this negligence would jeopardize national security in a time of war due to the lack of Taiwan-flagged ships to transport necessities.

"The government's marine transportation policy has long been lost since the passing away of late president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國)," said Chang, who resigned as a presidential adviser in May.

"Taiwan's sea shipping policy was only emphasized during the Chiang administration. Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and the incumbent, Chen Shui-bian, all neglected the importance of the shipping industry," Chang said yesterday in a speech to students of the China Marine College in Taipei.

Chang accused Chen of focusing too much on the election campaign, while marine transportation was not given enough weight in policy-making.

Chang said shipping policy only was only emphasized during the former Chiang regime, when the government offered incentives, including a tax exemption, for shipping proprietors and encouraged the building of national-flagged ships.

However, Chang said, these policies started to disappear when Lee came to power.

"The current minister of transportation and communications, Lin Ling-san (林陵三), didn't know a thing about shipping, and neither did President Chen Shui-bian," Chang said.

"He [Chen] only cares about how to increase his voting support. The government is even trying to purchase submarines and build submarines. But the depth of the Taiwan Strait is only 100m, meaning a submarine can be spotted in the air. What's the point of building submarines?" Chang asked.

The tycoon and founder of EVA Airways Corp and Evergreen Marine Corp (長榮海運) said the consequence of this negligence is the gradual disappearance of Taiwan's national-flagged ships.

"Evergreen Marine Corp also couldn't resist this trend and its ships are forced to carry the flags of the UK and Italy," Chang said.

Chang said that the impact of losing flagged-ships would be huge in a time of war because no national ships would transport the supplies and commodities the country needed.

He criticized the government's policy toward China, saying Evergreen ships may sail to any harbors in the world except those in China.

In response to Chang's comments, Presidential Office Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) said the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has been working on improving the industry. However, regarding direct transportation with China, Chiou said, "It involves cross-strait government-to-government negotiations."

DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) said he appreciated Chang's comments, adding the DPP has always sought to build up Taiwan as an ocean country.
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