PRESIDENT MA SAYS NO TO CHANGHUA PROJECT

President Ma Ying-jeou is opposing to the Changhua County project, following the recommendation made by the EPA's panel, which concluded that the Kuokuang Petrochemical complex should be rejected outright or given conditional approval. While stressing the importance of the petrochemical industry, Ma said that the government is seeking to find a balance between economic development and environmental protection.

President Ma Ying-jeou and other senior government officials held a press conference on Friday to announce that the government would not be supporting the construction of Kuokuang Petrochemical's new complex in Changhua.

The decision to relocate the project to Changhua was made while the DPP was in power, and Ma recently toured the prospective site and confirmed that the project would indeed be detrimental to the area's ecosystem and wetlands.

In response to questions on whether the decision would be detrimental to the domestic economy, Ma said that the government has not given up on the successful transition of the petrochemical industry.

The government has also taken steps to ensure that downstream industries will not be affected by the decision by guaranteeing upstream raw material sources.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs further said that relocating the project to China remains an option, as does splitting up the project by department.

Apart from Ma, the vice president, presidential secretary-general, premier, vice premier, and seven ministers were in attendance at the press conference.

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