Ma Ying-jeou, Kuomintang standard bearer, speaks at a campaign rally in Kaohsiung. He called the government¡¯s promise to make Taiwan a ¡°country of the seas¡± a fake, yesterday. (CNA)
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Ma Ying-jeou, Kuomintang standard bearer, speaks at a campaign rally in Kaohsiung. He called the government¡¯s promise to make Taiwan a ¡°country of the seas¡± a fake, yesterday. (CNA) | ||
The China Post news staff
Vice President Annette Lu gave that name to Taiwan, stressing that the island is destined to become a sea power.
"That's a fake," Ma said at a campaign rally in Kaohsiung.
Kaohsiung is Taiwan's largest seaport.
It ranked third in the world in cargo-handling capacity while the Kuomintang was in power, Ma said. "Kaohsiung went down to sixth in the current league table," he went on, "and is expected to go lower to eighth in 2007."
Frank Hsieh failed to stop Kaohsiung from going down in its ranking while he was mayor of the southern Taiwan port city from 1998 to 2006, Ma said.
And yet, Ma charged, Hsieh who is running for president is promising to let Taiwan win the title of the "country of the seas."
"He didn't and couldn't do it while he was premier," Ma pointed out.
All those promises are empty promises, Ma added.
One reason for the decline of Kaohsiung, the Kuomintang presidential candidate said, is the government ban on direct shipping between Taiwan and China.
All shipping across the Taiwan Strait has to be relayed via a third territory, usually Hong Kong.
If Hsieh were elected, Kaohsiung might drop to tenth in the league table next year, Ma alleged.