Taichung has great industrial output and contributes a lot to Taiwan’s economic growth, but the city government’s transportation policies are lacking, Deputy Legislative Speaker Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) mayoral candidate for the city, told the opening of the Taiwan International Tools and Hardware Expo yesterday.

Tsai addressed industry leaders and company executives at the launch of the three-day international event at the Taichung International Exhibition Center.

About 300 firms and vendors are exhibiting at expo, and more than 5,000 buyers and distributors from Taiwan and other countries attended the opening day, organizers said.

Photo courtesy of Tsai Chi-chang’s campaign office via CNA

Taichung and Changhua County are the main industrial clusters for tools, hardware accessories, metal processing machines and fasteners, while also supplying Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, Tsai said.

“In central Taiwan, we have the most complete and robust supply chain for semiconductor manufacturers and other important industries... It is well-known that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, as the leading semiconductor company, forms a ‘silicone shield’ to protect Taiwan,” he said.

“People should also know that Taiwan’s robust supply chains for semiconductors, as well as metal tools and hardware, are closely linked to rest of the world. If an emergency situation or conflict breaks out around Taiwan, it would severely disrupt the global supply chain,” he said.

“Therefore, besides sharing our values of democracy and freedom, Taiwan’s strength in economic and industrial development binds it closely to the international community,” Tsai said.

Taiwan is the third-largest exporter of hand tools in the world.

Exports of hardware and hand tools reached a record US$4.79 billion last year, up 27.4 percent from a year earlier, Ministry of Economic Affairs data showed.

In his role as Taichung mayoral candidate, Tsai said his platform includes expediting the acquisition of land for new industrial corridors and their construction.

He proposed the idea of “long-term lease only,” as it would not include expensive sales to manufacturing companies wanting to set up in the city.

Tsai said his transportation policy includes pushing to complete the Taichung MRT rail routes and extensions, as it would spur the local economy, creating jobs and ensuring young people stay in the city.

He also advocated construction of an elevated track for the Taiwan Railways Administration’s Coastal Line and completing its dual-track plan, as certain portions are still single track only, resulting in longer waits between trains.

Tsai said both plans had been approved by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications during the mayoral term of the DPP’s Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), but were held back by Taichung’s current Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration.

Taichung residents in the coastal districts have long waited for the Coastal Line railway plans to be completed, Tsai said, adding that it would stimulate the economy in those districts.

Taichung officials said in a statement on behalf of Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) that they have held meetings on construction of the Coastal Line at local communities to gain feedback and suggestions over the past three years, and have requested funding approval, but are still waiting for the central government to give them the green light.

DOUBLE STANDARD: Beijing expects Taipei to allow its citizens to enter the nation without quarantine while it still subjects Taiwanese to the ordeal, an official said Beijing is likely to cite Taiwan’s different border policies for people from China, Hong Kong and Macau as a “double standard” as part of its cognitive warfare efforts, a source said yesterday. The government is on Thursday to end mandatory quarantine for incoming travelers, expect those from Hong Kong, Macau and China, due to national security concerns. Beijing is likely to cite the discrepancy as a double standard and say that the Democratic Progressive Party administration “irrationally opposes” anything China-related and “as a matter of course,” the source said. The government last month announced that starting on Sept. 29, people from China

Volunteer divers on Saturday harpooned 10 Thai snakehead fish, as the nation seeks to eradicate the invasive species from Taitung City’s Huoshuei Lake (活水湖). “Huoshuei Lake hosts many watersports events and is an important recreational space for residents,” Taitung Underwater Federation president Huang Tung-yi (黃東益) told a lakeside news conference. “This event was organized to ensure that the lake’s waters remain safe for the public and indigenous fish,” he said. The Taitung County Government asked diving enthusiasts to help eradicate the species in the lake after visitors reported seeing clutches of eggs and schools of juvenile snakehead fish in waters near the

‘NOT TURNING BACK’: After a professor slammed the policy of ‘living with the virus,’ the head of the CECC listed how well Taiwan was faring compared with other countries The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday said it would not reverse its COVID-19 policies, as it announced its five main goals for “living with the virus.” Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝), who heads the center, said that the number of new local cases for last week had reached 323,443 as of Saturday — 9.1 percent higher than a week earlier. The number of new daily cases “is still at a plateau in Taiwan, so we advise people to continue practicing preventive measures,” he said. Local media reported that Chan Chang-chuan (詹長權), a professor at National Taiwan University’s College

The Republic of China (ROC) is still the most commonly accepted name to refer to the nation, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday, responding to questions about the use of “Taiwan National Day” to refer to Double Ten National Day. Ko was asked about the Presidential Office’s use of “Taiwan National Day” in English to refer to Double Ten National Day on the official logo of publicity material for the day. Ko said that every administration has used different terms over the years, from “ROC at Taiwan,” “ROC in Taiwan,” “ROC is Taiwan” to “ROC (Taiwan).” “At the moment, ROC is the