On the morning of August 11, President Ma Ying-jeou held a press conference at the Presidential Office to discuss the recent gas explosions in Kaohsiung City.
The following is an English translation of the president's remarks:
I would like to speak about two issues at today's press conference. First, I want to talk about the work being carried out in the wake of the gas explosions in Kaohsiung. And second, I want to discuss the economic future of Taiwan.
A series of grave explosions happened in the late hours of July 31 in Kaohsiung, resulting in over 300 casualties. Today marks the 11th day since the explosions. The Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Administration at around 10 p.m. on July 31 dispatched employees to the scene to help determine the cause of the explosions, and the central government at 1 a.m. on August 1 established the Central Emergency Operation Center. Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺), Minister of the Interior Chen Wei-zen (陳威仁), and Minister of Economic Affairs Chia-juch Chang (張家祝) were among the officials at that meeting. At 2:38 a.m. on August 1, the military was ordered into the rescue effort, and to date over 10,000 soldiers and a variety of vehicles, rescue boats, and other equipment have been mobilized. Even now, we can still see our troops in camouflage uniforms working tirelessly in the disaster zone. At 9:45 a.m. on August 1, I arrived at the disaster response center to receive a briefing, and I took part in a video conference with Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) to better understand the situation and provide assistance. I also instructed central government agencies to pool their manpower and resources to support the Kaohsiung City government in the rescue work.
Southern Taiwan in recent days has been hit by heavy rains, and rising waters in the disaster area are especially worrying. Times like these call upon us to pull together in a united response to the challenge. Two days ago, we dispatched more military personnel to the area to assist in rescue and relief work. Besides working to clear the streets and drainage pipes damaged in the explosions, the troops have also been pumping water out of flooded areas, disinfecting the site, and clearing away garbage. The soldiers are also helping residents to rebuild their neighborhood. This work is being carried out without respect to political affiliation, and the central and local governments are working hand-in-hand. The events that took place in Kaohsiung are a matter of concern to all the people of Taiwan. Those affected by the disaster will sense the concern and support of the central government and the public at large.
Once the rescue work comes to a conclusion, our efforts will increasingly focus on three tasks, namely: rebuilding the neighborhoods; determining the facts; and preventing a recurrence.
First: Rebuilding Neighborhoods
The central government and the Kaohsiung City government are working closely together to help the victims of the disaster to recover from their pain and suffering, to rebuild their homes, and to resume their normal lives. Last Friday, the Executive Yuan and the Kaohsiung City government finalized principles for how the funding of the rebuilding will be shared. The Kaohsiung City government will first establish a disaster reserve of NT$300 million, while another NT$1 billion will be provided by the central government.
Second: Determining the Facts
The prosecutors must ascertain the cause of the explosions as soon as possible and to clearly identify the party or parties responsible. This is our responsibility to those killed or injured in the disaster, their families, and the nation.
Third: Preventing a Recurrence
The gas explosions in Kaohsiung have alerted city and county governments throughout Taiwan to the need to carry out a comprehensive review of underground industrial pipelines. This is a matter of life and death, and absolutely cannot be done carelessly. No detail can be overlooked. Central government agencies will help city and county governments with this work to safeguard the lives and the property of people throughout Taiwan.
Now that the rescue work is coming to a conclusion, we must once again turn our attention to Taiwan's economy. While the nation's economic performance in the first half of this year improved considerably, the external challenges we face are still steep. On August 4, the renowned American business daily The Wall Street Journal published an opinion piece entitled "Taiwan Leaves Itself Behind ." The article criticized Taiwan's current social climate of isolationism, and the essay resonated quite a bit throughout Taiwan. The tone of the article was quite strong, and may have seemed very harsh to us. The content, however, went straight to the heart of the problem that we face.
First, mainland China is an integral part of the global supply chain, and economic ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are quite close. Some 80% of Taiwan's external investment and 40% of its exports head to mainland China, including Hong Kong. Nothing is going to change this situation. By setting up barriers to trade and investment ties with mainland China, we solve nothing, and only hurt ourselves.
Second, mainland China and Korea are expected to sign a free trade agreement at the end of this year, after which the vast majority of Korean products will enter mainland China tariff-free. Many of Taiwan's and Korea's exports compete head-to-head, so the signing of that agreement will pose a serious problem for Taiwan. To overcome the competitive disadvantage this will foist upon us, and to reduce our reliance on mainland China for exports, our legislature should pass the Cross-Strait Trade in Services Agreement and the Cross-Strait Trade in Goods Agreement to avoid becoming more isolated as neighboring countries reduce their trade barriers.
Third, the ROC's Legislative Yuan should quickly pass the Cross-Strait Agreement Supervisory Act and ratify the Cross-Strait Trade in Services Agreement, both of which were blocked due to the student protests. If lawmakers do not pass these measures, Taiwan will become further isolated.
In a strongly worded albeit well-intentioned editorial, The Wall Street Journal pointed out the difficulties and challenges faced by Taiwan. The three points which the article made and that I've just outlined, are the very points my administration has made over and over. Still, some people believe we are just being alarmist, while others have even accused us of fear mongering. Now, the international media has echoed what we've been saying. This indicates that liberalization, internationalization, and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait are indeed what the times call for, and what the people want.
In order to avoid becoming marginalized in the Asia-Pacific region, we will continue to promote trade liberalization and push ahead with deregulation and market opening, and have no choice but to engage in trade and economic cooperation with mainland China. At this difficult period, I want to urge the ruling and opposition camps to come together and cooperate, and to adopt a rational and pragmatic attitude in facing the serious issue of regional economic and trade integration and global trade liberalization. We must not let Taiwan lose forward momentum!
I sincerely hope that everyone who cares about Taiwan, regardless of their political affiliation or views, will work together with the highest and best interests of the people of Taiwan at heart and stop their political bickering. On the one hand, we must go quickly about the task of rescue and rebuilding in the wake of the Kaohsiung gas explosions. At the same time, we must look to the future and think calmly about the issues facing us. We must pursue long-term development and economic prosperity to achieve the greatest possible wellbeing for the people of Taiwan.
I would like to reiterate my calls for the opposition party to abandon its tactic of forcibly occupying the speaker's podium in order to paralyze the legislature. If a violent minority continues to bully the majority, resulting in paralysis of the legislature's agenda, what is going to become of Taiwan's economy? What good does it do anyone to win out in internal strife if Taiwan as a whole comes out a loser? We all have to work together to continue moving Taiwan forward, for Taiwan is the only home we have. Moving forward is our only choice. We cannot turn back. We absolutely must move boldly ahead.