Taipei Mayor Chiang Wanan recently announced his grand vision of relocating Songshan Airport and building an AI park in Taipei, attracting public attention. (Central News Agency file photo)
With 51 days left before the election, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wanan has laid out his grand vision of relocating Songshan Airport and building a Taipei AI park, claiming that land will be released to develop industries, parks and living settlements, creating huge economic benefits. Political commentator Guo Zhengliang said more bluntly that this is not something that the mayor of Taipei can accomplish alone, at least it should be a political opinion at the level of the 2028 presidential election. This comment just points out the most fundamental problem with the entire policy. The relocation of Songshan Airport involves the authority of the central government and cannot be completed with a single order from the mayor of Taipei. One cannot help but wonder, is Jiang Wanan proposing a feasible urban development plan, or is he packaging major national-level construction into local election politics? What’s more worth asking is, when politicians write such huge policy checks before elections, have they seriously thought about how they will cash in if they are really elected?
In fact, Taipei citizens do not have to wait until Songshan Airport is relocated to observe policy implementation issues from daily municipal administration. In the past, the Chiang City government promoted grille-type smoking areas, but their effectiveness in blocking second-hand smoke was questioned, and related facilities even faced removal; the investment in the construction of bus shelters also caused controversy over the sunshade function and engineering costs. The basic purpose of the smoking area is to reduce the impact of second-hand smoke on the surrounding people; the basic function of the bus shelter is to provide passengers with shelter from the sun and rain. These seemingly simple public facilities must go through needs assessment, design review, budget preparation and construction acceptance. Although the controversy over small projects cannot directly prove that large-scale policies are not feasible, it is enough to remind the city government that public construction cannot only pursue visual effects and publicity. While citizens are still testing whether a bus shelter and a smoking area really meet their needs, the mayor suddenly proposes a grand plan to relocate the entire airport. Naturally, it should undergo strict professional testing.
The Chiang City government had previously built a grille-style smoking area, but it was ridiculed by the public because it looked like a prison, and it was soon demolished. (File photo)
What's more, Songshan Airport is not city-owned land that the Taipei City Government can dispose of on its own, but an important facility involving civil aviation transportation, national military combat readiness, airspace management and off-island transportation. Relocating an airport not only requires central government decision-making, but also requires the assessment of alternative airport capacity, military facility adjustments, route configuration, transportation connections, and huge project funding. The authority issue raised by Guo Zhengliang is the unavoidable core of this political opinion. Of course, the mayor of Taipei can initiate the direction of urban development, but the initiative does not mean that he has decision-making power, nor does it mean that the central government has agreed. If the prerequisites, financial sources and inter-ministerial coordination mechanism for relocation have not yet been determined, the rush to promote the output value and employment opportunities of the AI park will inevitably make people question whether they are proposing executable public policies or showing a campaign blueprint that still needs the cooperation of the central government? Especially in large-scale construction, it is taboo to announce the results first and then look back to find implementation methods. Otherwise, no matter how beautiful the vision is, it may become a political promise that is difficult to fulfill.
Elections can have visions, but governance cannot be just slogans. If Jiang Wanan really intends to promote the relocation of Songshan Airport, he should first explain what specific work he can accomplish during his term, rather than letting the city imagination in 2033 become propaganda material for the current election campaign. If local election policies lack clear rights, responsibilities and implementation conditions, it is easy to form a ambiguity of political responsibility. If you declare before the election that you want to relocate the airport, if the central government does not agree after the election, you may blame the central government; even if the central government is willing to discuss it, it may be difficult to implement due to national defense needs, aviation capacity, or financial constraints. From smoking areas to bus shelters to military-civilian airports, the common standards of public policy have never changed, that is, they must meet actual needs, use budgets rationally, and be able to be tested for results. What citizens expect is not a mayor who is good at describing the future, but a city government that can solve current problems. After all, citizens can experience it every day whether bus shelters can provide shade and whether smoking areas can effectively isolate second-hand smoke. As for whether Songshan Airport can be relocated, it cannot be decided by a press conference. The AI park should be drawn before the election. Who will move the airport after the election? Since this check was issued by Chiang Wanan, he has the responsibility to explain to the citizens of Taipei how he plans to cash it.
Whether Songshan Airport can be relocated is not something that the mayor of Taipei can decide. It involves central decision-making and adjustments to military facilities, route configuration, transportation connections, and huge project funding. (Central News Agency file photo)
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