Lawmakers today called for the establishment of a regional economic zone encompassing Kaohsiung, Pingtung County and Tainan to promote the region’s prosperity and build a new 24-hour international airport in southern Taiwan.
With a combined population of about 5.4 million, the three municipalities meet the conditions to form a regional economic zone, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) told a news conference at the legislature in Taipei.
The region has established industries spanning technology, agriculture, tourism, aviation and shipping, as well as a comprehensive labor force, expanding commuter areas and rich cultural diversity, making it suitable to attract large-scale corporate investment and build a self-sustaining economy, he said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
DPP Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said he successfully promoted direct flights from Tainan to Kamamoto and Okinawa in Japan, and would promote more international destinations in the future.
He also hopes to improve Tainan Airport’s facilities so that people in southern Taiwan would have more travel options and work with Kaohsiung International Airport to serve the region together, Lin said.
Tainan Airport finally has international destinations to Japan, DPP Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said, adding that they would strive to add more flight routes before a new airport is completed.
DPP Legislator Chiu Chi-wei (邱志偉) said he would promote more policies to enhance the south’s international flight offerings and balance development between the north and south.
Kaohsiung International Airport could hopefully increase its hours of operation to coordinate with more flights, so that people in the south need not travel to Taoyuan to catch international flights, Chiu said.
If Kaohsiung had a 24-hour international airport, it would become an important hub for the people of southern Taiwan, as well as international tourists, DPP Legislator Wu Li-hua (伍麗華) said.
DPP Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) suggested that the government assess the semiconductor industry’s requirements over the next decade and plan early to build an international cargo airport in southern Taiwan, possibly even in Pingtung County.
DPP Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) recommended promoting seasonal charter flights at Pingtung’s Hengchun Airport to strengthen the current airport’s role before a new one is built, adding that he would continue fighting for direct flights to Pingtung.
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