Brian Hioeby Brian Hioe
語言:
English
Photo Credit: M. Weitzel/WikiCommons/CC BY-SA 3.0
THE LAI ADMINISTRATION has continued to be strategically ambiguous regarding nuclear energy.
In comments to Bloomberg late last month, Premier Cho Jung-tai expressed a willingness to use nuclear energy to meet energy demands for AI. It is expected that Taiwan may play a key role in the growing AI sector, particularly regarding the use of chips, seeing as Taiwan already plays a preeminent role in global semiconductor manufacturing. Cho stated that as long as there was social consensus on nuclear energy, particularly regarding the disposal of nuclear waste, that it was fine to proceed.
Indeed, the Lai administration has suggested that the use of small-scale nuclear reactors using advanced technology changes the equation when it comes to nuclear energy, and that this would allow for its safe use in Taiwan. This occurs despite the fact that the DPP was historically the anti-nuclear party in Taiwanese politics.
The pushback against nuclear energy has in part been due to concerns about nuclear waste disposal. The history of the KMT foisting nuclear waste on local communities, without consultation, has not helped with nuclear energy’s image problems in Taiwan.
The most famous case in point is Indigenous-majority Orchid Island, also known as Lanyu, which had a nuclear waste disposal facility illegally foisted upon it. Local residents were originally told that the facility was a canning facility. Claims from the DPP may be that newer, more advanced nuclear energy produces less waste and avoids the issue.
Another historical concern regarding nuclear energy has been the possibility of seismic activity leading to a catastrophic meltdown in the manner of the 2011 Fukushima disaster, which would release nuclear materials, render some areas unlivable, and contaminate food for decades to come. This is especially a matter of concern given Taiwan’s limited geographic area.
President Lai Ching-te. Photo credit: Lai Ching-te/Facebook
Nevertheless, much of the DPP’s opposition to nuclear energy as compared to the KMT’s wholehearted embrace of it goes back to differing historical narratives on Taiwan’s history, as well as ideological perspectives on Taiwan itself. Nuclear energy was framed by the DPP as the KMT contaminating Taiwan’s land for developmentalist aims, when the KMT always sought to exploit Taiwan’s natural resources regardless of the environmental damage as part of efforts to go back to China. In this way, calling for environmental protection and a shift away from nuclear energy was to defend Taiwan’s land, as dovetailing with Taiwanese nationalist identification. By contrast, the KMT plays up the period of history in which Taiwan was largely dependent on nuclear energy, since this coincides with the period of Taiwan’s economic boom–as well as when it ruled over Taiwan as a one-party state.
The Lai administration clearly has energy needs as a priority to fuel Taiwan’s industrial needs. This has sometimes led to questionable ends. Previously, Minister of Economic Affairs JW Kuo was criticized for suggesting that Taiwan could build submarine cables to import power from other countries, a proposal criticized as unrealistic given how many years this would take, and how expensive it would be.
Although the Lai administration is not likely to say so in a public manner, part of the DPP’s apparent willingness to consider nuclear energy is because of invasion scenarios in which supplies of liquified natural gas or other energy sources are cut off. In this situation, small-scale nuclear reactors could likely play a role in meeting Taiwan’s energy needs. Along such lines, Lai previously suggested that nuclear reactors could potentially be spun up in the future, if needed, likely referring to an invasion scenario.
Yet if the Lai administration compromises on the issue, this would be another example of the DPP compromising to what historically was a KMT political position because of concerns that ultimately return to the threat from China. Similarly, in past years, the DPP also lifted the longstanding barrier to US pork imports and food imports from Fukushima-affected areas–in spite of previously taking a strong stance against such issues–in order to strengthen ties with the US and Japan, potential allies against the threat of a Chinese invasion. This would be the same.