Taiwan is willing to be in step with the world by considering new methods of nuclear energy generation and to discuss alternative approaches to provide more stable power generation and help support industries, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday.
The government would continue to develop diverse and green energy solutions, which include considering advances in nuclear energy generation, he added.
Cho’s remarks echoed President William Lai’s (賴清德) comments in an interview last month, saying the government is not precluding “advanced and newer nuclear power generation” if it is proven to be safer and the issue of nuclear waste is resolved.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Lai’s comment had been speculated to be a shift in the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) “nuclear-free homeland” policy — a core tenet enshrined within the party’s charter.
Taiwan became the first nuclear-free nation in East Asia after its last operating nuclear reactor was shut down on May 17.
In a report to the DPP’s national congress in Taipei yesterday, Cho said that legal support, nuclear safety, nuclear waste disposal and public support are the prerequisites for the party to consider using traditional nuclear power generation.
In terms of industrial development, Cho said the government continues to promote semiconductor, artificial intelligence, national security, security control and next-generation communications industries, which are part of the government’s Five Trusted Industry Sectors policy.
The government’s six regional industry policies would be realized through 150 infrastructure projects, changing the nation for the better, he said.
The same infrastructure projects would expedite the modernization of Taiwan’s urban landscape, and increase domestic consumption and demand, he added.
The government is stimulating tourism by encouraging the hosting of conferences, concerts and international sports events, which would also increase domestic consumption, Cho said.
Other major projects ahead include an increase in infrastructure and public construction, a continuous push for social housing, long-term healthcare, the four-year Trillion New Taiwan Dollar Investment National Development Plan and the creation of the Asia Asset Management Center project, he said.
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