Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Vice President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday presented a project for the economic development of northern Taiwan, suggesting a broader subway network in Taipei and New Taipei City, and creating a “New Silicon Valley” in Taoyuan as well as Hsinchu and Miaoli counties.
The new infrastructure and construction projects could spur economic growth, attract investments and improve the living conditions of residents, Lai said.
If elected, he would push to complete the Taipei MRT Circular Line network, Lai said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
“The Circular Line is to cover most New Taipei City districts, with Taipei at its core... When the network is completed, every district center in New Taipei City along its route would be an engine for economic growth,” Lai said.
“It was during the first DPP government that the Circular Line was proposed, and its first phase was completed in 2020.... Construction for the northern and southern sections has already started, and the designs are under way for the line’s eastern section,” he added.
Lai also proposed building a “New Danhai Science City” in New Taipei City with two districts along the coast in the north of Tamsui District (淡水) focusing on biomedical technology, healthcare and leisure while functioning as a transportation hub.
Photo courtesy of the campaign office of KMT presidential candidate Hou You-yi
Another project named the “Keelung River Valley Corridor,” would link Sijhih District (汐止) with Keelung’s Wudu (五堵) to Chidu (七堵) to set up a science and high-tech sector corridor, Lai said, adding that it would connect to the existing high-tech clusters in Taipei to boost the economic development of Taipei, New Taipei City and Keelung.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday held a campaign event in Taichung’s Wurih District (烏日), which it said attracted about 60,000 people.
At the campaign rally, KMT presidential candidate New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) pledged to extend the Taichung MRT to neighboring Changhua and Nantou counties, saying that the project had been blocked by the DPP.
Photo: Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
Hou urged people to vote for him and the KMT to “win back the country,” as he pledged to complete the Taichung MRT extension.
Despite the DPP spending NT$2.7 billion (US$86.5 million) cracking down on scams, such cases continue to rise, Hou said, adding that if elected, in three years he would ensure fraud cases are reduced by 50 percent.
He would lead Taiwan to walk a “middle path,” in which the nation is at peace with China and friends with member of the international community, Hou said.
In contrast with the DPP and the KMT’s big rallies, Taiwan People’s Party Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday accompanied a group of his supporters who had started a cross-nation walk from Taipei, as they reached Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春) yesterday.
Additional reporting by Tsai Chang-sheng, Su Meng-chuan and CNA
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
EVA Airways, one of the leading international carriers in Taiwan, yesterday said that it was investigating reports that a cabin crew manager had ignored the condition of a sick flight attendant, who died on Saturday. The airline made the statement in response to a post circulating on social media that said that the flight attendant on an outbound flight was feeling sick and notified the cabin crew manager. Although the flight attendant grew increasingly ill on the return flight, the manager did not contact Medlink — a system that connects the aircraft to doctors on the ground for treatment advice during medical
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
RSS