Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) chairman Ou Chin-der (歐晉德) yesterday said that his work on Sean Lien’s (連勝文) Taipei mayoral bid would not interfere with or conflict with his job.
“I will devote most of my attention to the high-speed rail system. It is my top priority,” he said.
Ou’s appointment as general consultant to the campaign of the Chinese Nationlist Party (KMT) hopeful came after a malfunctioning electrical system disrupted rail operations last weekend.
That led Minister of Transportation and Communications Yeh Kuang-shih (葉匡時) to reminded Ou that he should be focusing on improving the rail line’s operations.
Ou said that he was recruited by Lien’s campaign to offer advice on Taipei’s development, pointing to his almost four decades of experience in construction and urban development.
He said he was willing to give advice that is in the best interest of the city, but his role as advisor will not be allowed to interfere with his responsibilities at THSRC.
He defended the rail system’s operations, saying that it has performed exceedingly well given the frequent earthquakes and typhoons that batter the nation.
From 2007 to last month, the average train delay time was 0.25 seconds, he said.
“The signaling system warns us when certain conditions occur, which means we have to stop and check our systems. We cannot take chances,” Ou said.
“We know that this causes some inconvenience to passengers, but we will continue to improve,” he said.
Ou made the comments after THSRC signed a contract with Great Way Development Co to develop the areas near the Hsinchu Station.
THSRC said that the deal on the land near Hsinchu Station would allow for the construction of a “Lifestyle Center,” which would include a movie theater, restaurants and a shopping area, along with a park outside the center.
The company said it is investing NT$800 million (US$26.4 million) in the project, which is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of next year.
The design of the center’s four-story main building will incorporate elements that remind people of Hsinchu’s characteristics, such as the strong winds that blow through the city, while the movie theater would have eight screens, the company said.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard