President Ma Ying-jeou met on the afternoon of October 1 with international strategist and management guru Dr. Kenichi Ohmae. The two exchanged opinions on a broad range of topics, including the energy policies of the two countries, Japan's experience in the development of nuclear power, and global nuclear power development trends.
In remarks, the president noted that Dr. Ohmae is an internationally renowned expert in management and economics, and a noted trend analyst. Dr. Ohmae earned a Ph.D. from the US Massachusetts Institute of Technology in nuclear engineering, and has engaged in in-depth research on nuclear power, he said. Over the past year, the Japanese government has changed its policy on the use of nuclear power more than once, and Dr. Ohmae has been involved in the policymaking and oversight process, so he has an enormous amount of practical experience in this field, said the president.
Looking at global trends in the use of nuclear power, the president noted that the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan two years ago has prompted many countries to reconsider the development of nuclear energy. Opponents of nuclear power have been quite vociferous, and some countries–such as Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium–have even decided to phase out nuclear power over the next nine to 21 years. However, the president commented, nuclear power is highly efficient, generates low carbon emissions, and allows for a large buffer stock of fuel, so the abandonment of nuclear power has not become a global trend.
President Ma further stated that the United States, Russia, and Japan have all experienced nuclear disasters, but ultimately each resumed their use of nuclear power, and even oil-producing nations such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia plan on constructing nuclear power plants. Furthermore, European nations that lead in the field of renewable energies, including Sweden, Finland, the United Kingdom, and Spain, have all decided to continue with the development of nuclear power, the president said. In fact, he stated, 31 nations use nuclear power and another 18 countries are either planning or are currently building nuclear power plants. Statistics indicate that these 49 nations account for 54% of the earth's landmass, 76% of its population, and 88% of global GDP.
In mentioning Japan's shifts on energy policy, President Ma stated that Japan in 2006 adopted the "Nuclear Energy National Plan." But after the Fukushima nuclear accident, Japan decided to abandon nuclear energy, he said. However, after last year's elections for Japan's House of Representatives, the government shifted its policy again to call simply for a reduction in nuclear power. In mid-September of this year, he noted, Japan's only two remaining nuclear power units in operation were shut down for routine maintenance, which means that Japan truly is using no nuclear power at all. President Ma said this development is extremely significant and worthy of further examination.
President Ma further stated that last year Japan had to import enormous amounts of natural gas to fuel traditional thermal power plants as the nation turned away from nuclear power. This caused Japan to register a trade deficit of ¥8 trillion, he said, further pointing out that Japan's trade deficit this year could expand to ¥10 trillion. In addition, electricity rates have also risen, he noted. According to forecasts, electricity rates for households this year will increase by between 10% and 12%, while industrial rates will be hiked by between 17.5% and 19%. The president said that these rate hikes will undoubtedly have an impact on the economy and on everyday lives in Japan.
President Ma explained to the visitors that Taiwan and Japan share many similarities. Both are island nations, both have independent power grids, and both are situated on an earthquake belt in the Western Pacific. The president said that the Fukushima nuclear accident served as a wake-up call to Taiwan. He stated that the government is increasing the height of a tsunami wall to better protect the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant currently under construction. He added that a set of ultimate emergency measures has been adopted for use in the event of a disaster. These call for the immediate shutdown of nuclear power plant operations at critical periods to prevent leakage of radioactive matter. In fact, he said, Taiwan's First, Second, and Third Nuclear Power Plants, which together have six units, were ranked fifth in the world among 30 countries for unit capacity factor in a survey released by the International Atomic Energy Agency this year, exceeding the United States, Korea, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. This proves that Taiwan's operation of nuclear power plants is among the best in the world, the president commented.
Lastly, President Ma mentioned that two years ago the government unveiled a vision for an energy policy here in which Taiwan would "ensure nuclear safety, gradually reduce reliance on nuclear power, and create a green power and low-carbon environment to become a nuclear-free country step by step." He expressed hope that Dr. Ohmae will provide his valuable insights to Taiwan regarding an appropriate energy policy, which he said the government will use as reference.
Joining Dr. Ohmae was TECO Group Chairman Theodore M. H. Huang (黃茂雄). The two were accompanied to the Presidential Office by Minister of Economic Affairs Chia-juch Chang (張家祝) and Association of East Asian Relations Chairman Lee Chia-chin (李嘉進) to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting were Secretary-General to the President Timothy Chin-Tien Yang (楊進添) and National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Jacob Chang (張大同).