Group calls for moving nation’s capital to Taichung

Politicians joined businesspeople and academics on Sunday calling for the seat of the central government to be moved from Taipei City to Greater Taichung to allow Taiwan “a rebirth.”
They made the call at the launch of an association in the special municipality in central Taiwan to promote the idea.
Association vice president Chen Keng-chin (陳庚金), a former Taichung County commissioner, said many more people are now talking about the issue.

Chen said he hoped people in central Taiwan would join the debate and work toward realizing their dream of becoming “residents of the capital city.”
Taichung Deputy Mayor Hsiao Chia-chi (蕭家旗) said his city and Changhua and Nantou counties are “one entity” that could be re-zoned and rebuilt as the nation’s capital.
This would represent a good use of land in central Taiwan, he said.

Changhua County Deputy Commissioner Yang Chung (楊仲) said moving the capital city to central Taiwan would not only solve the overcrowding problem in Taipei, but also “balance” regional development across Taiwan.
It is an important issue that the central government should consider, he said.
Yuan Ho-ling (袁鶴齡), dean of the College of Law and Politics at National Chung Hsing University in Taichung, said moving the capital would be a major project that could only be carried out step by step.
The government should first move the agricultural and aboriginal affairs councils to central Taiwan, which would help right the imbalance between the country’s south and north, he said.
The association is led by Wen Ping (文平), founder of Radio Taichung, who called on the public to join the campaign via Facebook.

Taichung City Chamber of Commerce president Lin Shan-hsia (林山下) and Tang Wen-wan (湯文萬), chairman of the Wen Wan Resort Sun Moon Lake, were among those who attended the launch and voiced support for the idea.
Democratic Progressive Party politician Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), a former Government Information Office chief, also supported the proposal.

Source: Taipei Times