Taichung, Taiwan, Aug. 21 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Tuesday he will push the Cabinet to do more to integrate the resources of various government departments to upgrade the nation's overall competitiveness.
Chen made the comment while attending a ceremony marking the delivery of the 100th empennage, or airplane tail, by Taiwan's state-owned Aerospace Industry Development Corp. (AIDC) to Boeing Co. of the United States.
Addressing the ceremony held at the AIDC factory in Shalu in the central county of Taichung, Chen said the AIDC is responsible for upgrading the performance and combat capability of locally developed defense fighter aircraft as well as the island's civil aviation technology. "Against this backdrop, the AIDC faces difficult challenges and needs the support of all relevant government agencies," Chen said, adding that integration of the resources of various government departments is critical to the AIDC's operations and the development of the domestic civil aviation industry.
The AIDC, Taiwan's only aircraft manufacturer, was originally the Republic of China's military manufacturing arm. It developed and produced the ROC Air Force's Ching-kuo Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDFs). As part of the government's efforts to expand the AIDC's role in the development of the civil aviation industry, the AIDC was reorganized into a corporate-style enterprise under the Ministry of Economic Affairs a few years ago.
President Chen said he is pleased to see the AIDC cooperating with Boeing and other major foreign aerospace companies in producing commercial aircraft, helicopters and transport aircraft.
Chen said the cooperative project with Boeing indicates the AIDC's determination to move toward globalization and corporate-style operations in addition to continuing its role in manufacturing military planes.
Chen further said that the government is determined to promote the privatization of the AIDC to upgrade its operational efficiency and competitiveness in the global aerospace market. "I hope AIDC management personnel will adopt flexible strategies and use wisdom and vision to lead the company to realize its goal of becoming a world-class aerospace company and help boost the development of our aviation industry," the president added.