Wed, Nov 01, 2023 page3

• JANUARY ELECTIONS: KMT and TPP campaign promises ‘empty,’ Lai says

  • By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter
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  Vice President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday accused the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) of making empty campaign promises, adding that their partnership would have little bearing on his campaign for president.

  Lai, the Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential candidate, made the remarks after attending the opening ceremony of the Association for Star Alliance Pilots (ASAP) executive board meeting in Taipei. It was the first time the association has held the event in Taiwan.

  “Since I launched my campaign for president, I have been responsibly presenting my policies for the country’s future. People have also seen the attempts of the KMT and TPP. The reason that they are talking about a partnership is because neither the KMT nor the TPP represent mainstream public opinion,” Lai said, adding that it seems as if they are “uniting with a secondary enemy to attack their main nemesis.”

  

  Vice President William Lai, the Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential candidate, speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday.

  Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times

  “As for the consensus they reached on Monday, I only have one word for it: ‘empty.’ It will not have any effect on the presidential campaign,” he said.

  The KMT and TPP on Monday also agreed that the president should give the state of the nation address and listen to suggestions from lawmakers.

  Lai yesterday said that the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法) already allows the president to give such an address, but they can only do so with the legislature’s approval.

  “Although the mechanism has existed for a while, no president has been invited to brief legislators, because lawmakers have never agreed on such a proposal in their negotiations,” he said.

  Ko has criticized the insurance schemes available for farmers, saying they are like huge cash bonuses.

  “I want to ask which farmers’ insurance scheme he plans to annul: farmers’ health insurance or agricultural insurance? Does he want to cancel farmers’ health insurance?” Lai asked. “If he did not talk about the policy, people would not notice that he is so clueless about national politics.”

  Lai told the ASAP meeting that, aside from producing more than 90 percent of the world’s high-end chips, Taiwan also has a civil aeronautics industry that has grown into a trillion-dollar business.

  Ninety percent of the aeronautics components used in commercial flights around the world are from Taiwan, he said.

  “Building on this foundation, Taiwan would continue to be a reliable partner in the global supply chain, making us more closely connected with the international community,” Lai said.

  In 2019, approximately 40.3 million commercial flights were operated by domestic and international airlines every year, with global passenger volume reaching 4.5 billion, he said.

  “With the COVID-19 pandemic subsiding, we are glad to see a resumption of air transportation, and that demand for air travel is increasing. The International Air Transport Association estimated that the global aviation industry would fully return to pre-COVID-19 levels by 2025. We believe that pilots will continue to play a key role in contributing to global innovation and prosperity,” Lai said.

  Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kuang (田中光) said it is urgent that Taiwan join the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which has made creating a “seamless sky” and promoting aviation safety its main missions.

  “The Taipei Flight Information Region is one of the busiest airspaces in East Asia. In 2019, the region provided services to 1.85 million controlled flights and 722 million passengers departing or transiting through Taiwan,” Tien said. “Therefore, there is no doubt that Taiwan’s meaningful participation in ICAO is key to ensuring global aviation safety and security.”

  “By sharing timely information and expertise, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration’s participation in ICAO would definitely contribute to mitigating aviation risks... Excluding Taiwan has a negative impact on integration of the Asia-Pacific region, which is a priority in recovering from the pandemic,” Tien said.
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