Taiwan: President Lai Ching-te talks about nuclear policy

During a closed-door meeting with environmental groups, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said that his government’s position on nuclear power remains unchanged and that safety and social consensus must be secured before any policy change. Therefore, the government will continue to pursue the gradual phase-out of nuclear power on the island while maintaining an “open attitude” toward new and advanced nuclear technologies. To change this policy, Lai emphasized three prerequisites: ensuring nuclear safety, achieving proper nuclear waste management, and securing social consensus.
Speaking after the meeting, TEPU Chairman Shieh Jyh-Cherng welcomed Lai’s comments as a timely response to the attempts of opposition parties to alter nuclear policy through law revision. Recently, there was a strong parliamentary debate about keeping the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant, Taiwan’s only active reactor, beyond its official lifespan. Opposition parties are also pressing to revive decommissioned reactors. However, not all were satisfied by Lai’s remarks at the meeting. Wang Hsing-chih, secretary-general of the Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association, expressed concern over the government’s intention to purchase more liquefied natural gas from the United States, warning that it could lead to a proliferation of LNG terminals in Taiwan and increased carbon emissions.