The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) county commissioner candidates for Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu yesterday pledged to build a mutually beneficial “golden triangle” for the three outlying islands to boost their development if elected in Nov. 24’s local elections.
The pledges were jointly presented at a news conference in Taipei by Lienchiang County Commissioner Liu Tseng-ying (劉增應), who is seeking re-election, KMT Legislator Yang Cheng-wu (楊鎮浯), who is vying for commissioner of Kinmen County, and Penghu County commissioner candidate Lai Feng-wei (賴峰偉), who served two terms as Penghu commissioner from 1997 to 2005.
The three candidates said they intend to reinstate and strengthen a cooperation and development platform for the three outlying islands, through which they can make joint bids for resources from the central government and create a mutually beneficial, three-way relationship which they termed a “golden triangle.”
Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
To incorporate the three islands’ tourism resources, the three candidates plan to create a sightseeing package that specifically targets international tourists and takes them to all of the tourist attractions on the three islands.
They also promised to improve the islands’ air and water-based transportation facilities, while endeavoring to secure discounts for local residents flying between the three islands or to Taiwan proper.
They also prioritized the creation of a negotiation channel with Beijingy, via which they plan to jointly explore solutions to garbage floating to the coasts of the three islands from China.
“Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu are the Republic of China’s three main outlying islands. During past cross-strait confrontations, the three islands were on the frontline, acting as a shield in the Taiwan Strait to safeguard Taiwan proper,” KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said.
Wu said he has confidence in the three candidates’ ability to transform the three islands into a “golden triangle” and hoped that the voters would give the KMT another chance.
The three islands are not only facing an exodus of young people like the south of Taiwan proper, they are also being overwhelmed by trash floating from China, Yang said.
“I hope that the KMT can get back on its feet, so that it can alleviate cross-strait tensions and help solve the problem of floating garbage,” Yang said.
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