Restoring the one-year compulsory military service and the relocation of Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) were topics of discussion in the run-up to a legislative by-election in Taipei, as Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Enoch Wu (吳怡農) canvassed with his wife and campaign workers.
Entering the final week before the election on Sunday next week, Wu yesterday went to the Taipei Binjiang Market (濱江市場) in Zhongshan District (中山) to meet with people, while campaign workers accompanying Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) were also canvassing in the area.
Discussing the relocation of Songshan airport, which is near Binjiang Market, he said it has impeded economic revitalization in the surrounding areas, as flight paths require height restrictions for buildings, and the area is a barrier to other transportation routes.
Photo: CNA
Relocating the airport to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in an expansion project would add passenger and flight capacity, Wu told former DPP Taipei city councilor Ruan Jhao-syong (阮昭雄) yesterday.
Wu said the plan has met obstacles from Songshan airport’s two main authority bodies, the Ministry of Transportation’s Civil Aeronautics Administration and the Ministry of National Defense, as they have responsibility over the city’s air transportation.
“We know the plan could be a few years away, but it is time to discuss its related issues, and start preparation. It would be an important public policy, to revitalize local areas and improve Taipei’s major road links,” he said.
Photo: CNA
Wang opposed Wu’s relocation plan, saying it is a major government project and would require detailed studies and cooperation from other government sectors, adding that the idea was just “empty talk.”
At election campaign events last week, Wu said people should support the government’s plans to restore compulsory military service to one-year.
“Reform in the conscription program is needed, and it is the expectation of most people to shoulder the burden for self-defense of our nation,” he said.
“If I get elected to serve in the legislature, I would demand that the Ministry of National Defense ensure that every solider serving in the military can return home safely,” he added.
“To safeguard our nation and maintain peace for our homeland, Taiwan’s military will need to have regular armed forces, one-year compulsory service for young adults, reserve units and a civilian defense system,” he said.
As director of the Forward Alliance, Wu and his staff have been offering defense training programs for civilians, and he is known as an expert on military affairs.
Born in Chicago when his father was an exiled Taiwanese political activist, Wu graduated from Yale University and worked in finance.
He served in the army’s Special Forces Command from 2014 to 2015, then joined the DPP-led government as an adviser on national security and public policy issues.
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