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U.S. not a factor in nuclear power plant issue: NSC

ROC Central News Agency

2013/03/27 20:13:55

Taipei, March 27 (CNA) The National Security Council (NSC) said Wednesday that the Taiwan government has not had any discussions with the United States on the subject of the fourth nuclear plant, nor has it received any communication from the U.S. government expressing concern over the issue.

In carrying out its policies with respect to the fourth nuclear power plant, the government never considered the U.S. as a factor, the council said in a statement.

The statement was issued in response to a report Wednesday in the China Times, which was headlined 'security officials warn of impact scrapping nuclear power could have on ties with U.S.'

The report said President Ma Ying-jeou's administration is reluctant to halt construction of the controversial fourth nuclear plant despite growing public opposition to nuclear power.

It said the plant is being built in violation of the Constitution and at a high financial cost, with billions of Taiwan dollars worth of orders for products such as uranium rods being placed with the U.S.

In response, the council said it is regrettable that the local newspaper did not verify the facts before publishing a story that is likely to mislead the public on issues relating to the nuclear plant.

Economics Minister Chang Chia-juch also said that the fate of the fourth nuclear plant has nothing to do with the relations between Taiwan and the U.S. but rather revolves around concerns over the domestic economy, energy supply and safety.

'The report was the product of a fertile imagination,' Chang said in a legislative session Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said the fourth nuclear power plant issue is of major importance and there is no partisan bias in holding discussions on the matter, according to Cabinet spokeswoman Cheng Li-wun.

The premier's remark came after Yilan Magistrate Lin Tsung-hsien of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party questioned why he was excluded from a March 25 meeting on the nuclear issue among Jiang and three city mayors from the ruling Kuomintang.

Jiang invited Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin, New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu and Keelung City Mayor Chang Tong-rong to exchange opinions on the nuclear power issue, but no opposition local government heads, Lin noted.

Cheng said the premier will communicate with local magistrates at an appropriate time.

(By Kelven Huang, Lin Meng-ju, Chen Shun-hsieh, Hsieh Chia-chen
and Nell Shen)
enditem/pc