Plan to move Taiwan’s petrochem industry to Middle East dubbed environment friendly, viable and urgently needed

05-Apr-11

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential hopeful Tsai Ing-wen has opined plans to move the nation’s petrochemicals industry to the Middle East, calling the effort environmentally friendly, viable and urgently needed. She has expressed that the sensitive wetlands in Changhua County were an unsuitable location to build a US$600 bln (US$20.5 bln) petrochemical complex. Her comments came amid controversy over whether construction should start at the proposed eighth naphtha plant, which has drawn opposition from activists and local residents, citing health and environmental concerns.