President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) expressed admiration yesterday for Taiwan's petrochemical giant, Formosa Plastics Corp (FPC, 台塑), and said he hopes that his administration can emulate the FPC's working spirit for the country's economic development.
Chen made the remarks during a visit to the construction site of Taiwan's sixth naphtha cracker plant, an investment of FPC, in Yunlin County, southern Taiwan.
It was the third time that Chen had visited the plant, which is expected to be completed in 2003. Chen said his frequent visits represents his respect for FPC Chairman Wang Yung-ching (
The president said that he had adopted FPC's operations strategy in elevating the administrative efficiency of the Taipei City Government when he was mayor, but while he planned to do so in the Central Government when he was president, the related budget was canceled by the legislature.
He said he hopes the new legislature, that will be formed after the year-end elections, can support his plan.
Chen said that the FPC faced many challenges building the plant on reclaimed land and showed a spirit that the whole country should learn from.
Chen also talked about the "no haste, be patient" policy of restricting Taiwan's investment in China -- a policy that the chairman of FPC is opposed to. Chen said his administration did not eliminate the policy, but rather revised it to an "active opening, effective management" strategy after gauging the international situation and cross-strait economic and trade ties.
The FPC has invested NT$470 billion (US$13.60 billion) in the first and second stages of the construction of the plant, which will see 45 petrochemical material sub-plants and house an industrial port. The plant will be completed in 2003 after an additional investment of NT$110 billion (US$3 billion).
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