The Keelung City Government is hoping to boost tourism and revive the local economy by building a casino resort, officials said, adding that the best location would be a nearby island.
Such a plan would require major investment and city officials are inviting Hon Hai Group chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘) to become a part of the project, which aims to establish a casino on Keelung Islet (基隆嶼), which is 4.9km to the northeast of the northern coastal city.
City officials are planning a floating casino by building breakwater jetties and docking a decommissioned cruise ship on the islet.
“The casino will be the closest venue for people in northern Taiwan and can be built in a short time,” a city official said. “If Terry Gou agrees to invest in the project, construction of the casino can be completed in three years.”
Keelung City Councilor Lu Mei-ling (呂美玲) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) supported the proposal, saying that if Gou collaborates on the project, it would be a major boost for the city’s tourism sector.
However, some other councilors said that Keelung Islet does not have enough land available for further development, so the planning phase of the project would require careful thought.
Last week, Gou had suggested that a casino complex should be built in Tamsui (淡水), New Taipei City (新北市).
However, government regulations only permit gaming resorts to be sited on outlying islands. As such, officials at the Keelung City Transportation and Tourism Bureau said that Keelung Islet is the most suitable site for exploring collaborative development of an offshore casino.
Deputy head of the bureau Wang Ying-che (王英哲) said that Keelung Islet has only a small harbor and so breakwater jetties would need to be built.
“The designated area will be rezoned as an ‘International Tourism and Vacation Sector’ to allow docking of a decommissioned cruise ship. We know that such vessels are usually equipped with guest accommodation, recreational facilities, venue space for meetings, shopping centers and also a casino,” Wang said.
“Therefore the floating casino proposal conforms to current regulations on offshore casino locations and would also not face problems regarding public safety,” he said.
Wang said the relevant land on Keelung Islet is under the administration of the Keelung City Government.
“The site has existing buildings and other constructions which are legally approved, and thus no amendment to the law is required,” he said.
“To develop the islet for the casino does not require any changes to city revitalization plans. So there are no legal problems and the project can be completed quickly with a minimum of investment,” Wang added.
The islet covers 22 hectares. It was once a military training zone with civilian access prohibited. It was opened up in 2001, allowing people to reach it by boat, and the islet was turned into a tourist park in 2002.
There are public ferry services to the islet, with the journey taking between 20 and 30 minutes. Services depart from Keelung Harbor’s yacht docks and also from the Bisha (碧砂) fishing port.
Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who was in Keelung on Thursday to attend ceremonies at several temples, said that under the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government’s administration there have been almost no major construction or development projects in Keelung in recent years.
“If the central government only wants to rely on setting up special zones for casino resorts to stimulate the economy and local development, then it is not realistic. These kind of projects are also not the best choice for Keelung,” Tsai said.
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
GLOBAL: The slogan would be advertised in popular tourist destinations in North America and Europe, such as Champs-Elysees and Times Square, the agency said “Taiwan: Waves of Wonder” is to be the country’s new tourism slogan for the next 10 years, the Tourism Administration said yesterday, adding that it would be showcased in commercials at the Olympic Games in Paris and other major cities and travel fairs around the world. The new slogan, logo and theme song, which were unveiled at a news conference in Taipei, marked the agency’s latest effort to attract 10 million international visitors to Taiwan this year, a goal that it readjusted earlier this year, as China has yet to lift its travel ban to Taiwan. The administration created the “Taiwan: Touch
BOOST TO SPORTS? The Executive Yuan said that the amendment was introduced to attract professionals to Taiwan, and increase the incentives for naturalization The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed on third reading an amendment to the Nationality Act (國籍法) that would reduce the minimum residency period required for highly skilled professionals to apply for naturalization from three to two continuous years, with a minimum of 183 days in Taiwan each year. The 183-day requirement does not apply if an eligible applicant has lived legally in the territory of the Republic of China for more than five continuous years. Taiwan’s professional basketball leagues are expected to benefit from the amendments, which would allow them to recruit more players from overseas. Prior to the passage of the amendment, the