President Lai Qingde went to Yuanlin, Changhua, to participate in National Health Insurance Administration activities in August, and Changhua County Magistrate Wang Huimei accompanied him throughout the process. (File photo)
When President Lai Qingde, who is also the chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party, assisted in the election of county mayors, he emphasized several times that cooperation between the central and local governments can truly promote national development. Party and government figures pointed out that the central government plans national policies, inter-ministerial resources and overall direction, while local governments are responsible for administrative implementation, local communication and living facilities. Only when both parties work together can policies be transformed into construction and services that the people feel. Wang Huimei, the mayor of Changhua County from the Kuomintang, recently publicly thanked the president and Zhuo Kui for supporting major construction in Changhua, which is a concrete example of cross-party cooperation.
Party and government figures analyze that the necessity of cooperation between the central and local governments is mainly reflected in three major aspects:
1. Cross-regional resource integration: local development needs to transcend administrative boundaries
Party and government figures said that water resources best illustrate the necessity of cooperation between the central and local governments. The completion ceremony of the Yunjia South Irrigation System Connection Project was through the joint efforts of inter-ministerial committees and county and municipal governments to connect the two irrigation systems of Zhuoshui Creek and Zengwen-Wusantou Reservoir, adding about 70 million tons of flexible water dispatch every year. The president also explained the national water resources layout with the "String of Pearls Plan", connecting reservoirs through waterways, so that different regions can support each other.
Party and government figures pointed out that water sources, agriculture and industrial demand are not restricted by county and city boundaries. Local leaders must understand cross-regional dispatch and coordinate with the central government to improve the overall water supply resilience. The president's emphasis on cooperation is to hope that local development can be connected with the country's overall layout, so that water for agriculture, people's livelihood and industry can obtain more stable guarantees.
2. Industrial policy implementation: central layout and local efficiency are indispensable
Party and government officials said that the establishment of the semiconductor industry is the most concrete economic case of central-local cooperation. National industrial policies must be transformed into substantial investment and rely on the effective implementation of local governments. The central government has planned the Southern Taiwan Semiconductor S Corridor. From the groundbreaking of the Pingtung Semiconductor Supply Chain Zone as scheduled, to the completion of environmental impact assessment and urban plan review procedures for the Kaohsiung Baipu Industrial Park, the central government coordinates water, electricity, land and talent needs, and local governments do a good job in park development, administrative coordination and related supporting facilities, so that companies can feel at ease in their deployment.
3. Continuation of major construction: cooperation includes communication, commitment and long-term implementation
Party and government officials pointed out that the undergrounding of Tainan Railway represents another aspect of cooperation between the central and local governments. In addition to budget and engineering, major construction also involves people's lives and emotions. When the central government promotes the project, local governments need to deal with demolition communication, household resettlement and urban facilities, and find land to build caring housing.
After visiting the Executive Yuan on September 10, Wang Huimei publicly thanked President Lai and President Zhuo Rongtai on Facebook for their support of major construction projects in Changhua, and said that "Changhua construction is irrespective of party affiliation and must be carried out one step at a time. Many major construction projects will be completed by the next county magistrate." Party and government figures emphasized that this shows that central-local cooperation can transcend political parties and terms, and that local construction can move forward steadily through continuous coordination. The president's emphasis on cooperation reflects his own local governance experience. Major construction often spans different terms. Local leaders must be willing to face difficulties and reconcile differences so that the project can continue to advance.
