Taipei mayor candidates Chiang, Shen spar over Songshan Airport plan

Taipei, Oct. 8 (CNA) Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) on Thursday proposed "relocating" Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA) and building an "AI park" on the site, drawing a response from his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) challenger Puma Shen (沈伯洋), who asked what Chiang had done to advance the goal during his 10 years as a lawmaker representing the district and as mayor.

Chiang, a member of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), announced the plan at a news conference, saying he would build an AI park, transforming the 300-hectare site into an industrial cluster and residential area, with an estimated 65,000 jobs and 35,000 residents.

Chiang said he would seek to attract companies in fintech, international venture capital, exhibitions and hotels to establish operations on the site, which would have an estimated economic output of NT$12 trillion (US$375.5 billion) a year.

However, the mayor did not say where he planned to relocate the airport, instead pointing to the third terminal and runway under construction at Taoyuan International Airport, which he said would be able to replace TSA's current capacity once the runway is completed in 2033.

Chiang's proposal drew a response from Shen, who, when asked by reporters for a comment, noted that the Third Electoral District, which encompasses Zhongshan District and northern parts of Songshan District, was Chiang's electoral district when he served as a legislator from 2016 to 2022.

"So, what preparations has Mayor Chiang made over the past 10 years?" Shen asked.

Shen said that when former DPP legislative candidate Enoch Wu (吳怡農) made the same proposal in a 2023 legislative by-election, Chiang criticized it as a "hasty election promise."

"What changed?" Shen asked.

Nevertheless, Shen said he welcomes any policy discussions and looked forward to debating the issue with Chiang.

Chiang's proposal was criticized by both KMT and DPP magistrate candidates in Penghu County.

KMT Penghu magistrate candidate Chen Chen-chung (陳振中) said he is "firmly against" the proposal, noting that TSA is an important transportation hub for residents traveling between Penghu and Taiwan's main island.

DPP Penghu magistrate candidate Wu Shu-chin (吳淑瑾) slammed the proposal as no different from "sacrificing Penghu as if it were a bargaining chip" for Chiang's political gains.

KMT Lienchiang magistrate candidate Wang Chung-ming (王忠銘) also said AI development should not come at the expense of the interests of residents on outlying islands.

Asked about Chiang's proposal, Deputy Transportation Minister Chen Yen-po (陳彥伯) said TSA is an important hub for international flights connecting Taipei with Seoul, Tokyo and Shanghai, as well as domestic flights from Taipei to eastern Taiwan and outlying islands.

The Taipei city government had not discussed such a proposal with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications over the past four years, Chen said, calling for "prudent assessment" given the plan's far-reaching implications.

Meanwhile, Deputy Interior Minister Ma Shih-yuan (馬士元) also said that the Taipei city government had not consulted with the Interior Ministry before putting forward the plan.

TSA is an important garrison of the National Air Service Corps and is "indispensable" for search-and-rescue missions in northern Taiwan, Ma said.

（By Yeh Chen-yun, Liu Chien-pang, Pan Hsin-tung and Sean Lin）

Enditem/AW