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.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
RSS