President Ma Ying-jeou attended a ceremony on the morning of September 28 to formalize the entry of China Airlines into the SkyTeam alliance, and then inspected the airport light rail line that is currently under construction, as well as the first carriage that has been built for the metro line. The president said this demonstrates the importance that the government places on the aviation industry and major transportation infrastructure projects. He reiterated the government's intention to see that Taiwan is a more integral part of the international community, and to ensure that it is a key player in international transportation networks.
The induction of China Airlines into SkyTeam was held at one of the airline's maintenance hangars at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. President Ma, Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Yeh Kuang-Shih (葉匡時), Legislator Chu Fong-chi (朱鳳芝), and Taoyuan County Magistrate Wu Chih-yang (吳志揚) were among the guests on hand to witness the proceedings, in which China Airlines became the 15th member in the airline alliance. Following the ceremony, China Airlines then unveiled for the first time a Boeing 747-400 airplane painted in the SkyTeam livery.
President Ma stated that he especially wanted to attend the ceremony to highlight the government's emphasis on development of the aviation industry. The aviation sector is an important link between Taiwan and the rest of the world, he said. Consequently, when he campaigned for the presidency, he ran on a platform of "building up Taiwan while linking up with the Asia-Pacific region and creating a global presence." Toward this end, the first key is to create a "golden aviation loop in Northeast Asia," the president noted, explaining that his hope is to connect Taipei's Songshan Airport with Tokyo's Haneda Airport, Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport, and Seoul's Gimpo International Airport. To date, he said, three-fourths of this vision has been realized, and efforts are currently being made to complete this "aviation loop."
The president remarked that the development of the domestic transportation industry requires the support of a large and efficient aviation industry. He said that since taking office in May 2008 he has aggressively promoted negotiations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to gradually expand cross-strait aviation links, starting first with weekend charters, then adding weekday charters, and finally instituting regularly scheduled service. Over the past three years, the number of flights between the two sides has increased considerably, he stated, noting that the number of regularly scheduled flights next month should reach 558. This development has also helped to revitalize several airlines that were facing rocky times, he said.
President Ma stressed that a nation cannot be without an aviation industry. He furthermore emphasized that opening to the outside world promotes growth, while closing oneself off leads to decline. Taiwan's aviation industry is increasingly thriving, the president pointed out, with tourist arrivals last year surpassing 5.56 million to set a new high. In addition, growth in the number of passengers and amount of cargo passing through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport was the strongest in Asia. However, the president mentioned that even more deregulation and liberalization needs to be carried out. He expressed his hope that the entry of China Airlines into the SkyTeam alliance will pave the way for the sharing of resources and the extension of services, helping to bolster the aviation industry. The government will spare no effort in helping the industry to obtain new routes and opportunities. This will enable the sector to become even more stable, extend its reach even further, and “fly even faster.”
After the ceremony, the president then traveled to the nearby Taoyuan Chingpu Depot to inspect the state of construction of the light rail line that will connect the airport to downtown Taipei. The president also looked at the first completed carriage for the new metro line to get a better understanding of the carriage's design and the equipment that will be used to operate the service.
After listening to a briefing, the president remarked that the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Access MRT System Construction Project is one link in the Taoyuan Aerotropolis plan, which is one of the i-Taiwan 12 Projects. This airport light rail project is important to enhancing Taiwan's economic competitiveness, and construction of the rail line has already taken over 10 years, he said. The unveiling of the first rolling stock marks a new milestone in the gradual completion of the airport rail link, he added.
President Ma stated that the airport light rail line not only will function as a means of transport to the airport, but will also spark land development and promote prosperity along its path. Reasonably priced housing projects will be constructed near stations along the route, helping to resolve the stubbornly high housing prices in Taipei City and New Taipei City, he said. The president explained that the government recently has adopted a number of measures to dampen speculation in the property market, including the institution of the “specifically selected goods and services tax," which people colloquially refer to as the luxury tax, the construction of reasonably priced for-sale and rental housing, and strengthening risk management for real estate lending. In addition, the government, he said, has abolished the temporary halt on the tax on vacant land, which will help to prevent land hoarding and speculation. Other initiatives introduced include no longer allowing off-street parking lots to enjoy a preferential 1% tax and instead be taxed at a land tax rate of between 1% and 5.5%. Moreover, authorities are also carrying out investigations to determine any failure to pay taxes on transactions of luxury homes, he said, noting that all of these measures are aimed at realizing a fair market for land and housing.
President Ma also stated that the completion of the airport metro line will be important to promoting the development of Taiwan's tourism industry. When operation commences, one train will depart every 10 minutes, he said, which will significantly reduce the time needed to travel between Taipei and the airport. The Sanchong to Chungli portion of the line is expected to be completed in June 2013, while completion of the Sanchong to Taipei City portion is scheduled for October 2014. Lastly, the president urged everyone in the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Bureau of High Speed Rail to continue to do their utmost so that goals can be reached as soon as possible.