Kaohsiung race heats up: Ko proposes three air‑pollution plans, Lai backs Asian Games star

Kaohsiung City's mayoral race is heating up, candidates from all camps present policies and local concerns, actively seeking the support of the port city's voters. Kuomintang mayoral candidate Ko Chih‑en today officially unveiled three core air‑pollution control policies, directly targeting Kaohsiung's long‑standing environmental and health pain points and offering concrete improvement directions. At the same time, Democratic Progressive Party mayoral candidate Lai Jui‑lung turned his attention to the sports arena, personally cheering on Taiwan's top athletes who will compete in the Asian Games, demonstrating strong support for grassroots sports and the national team. The two sides respectively approach the election from the angles of public‑health environment and universal sports, each showing different political configurations and concerns.

Ko Chih‑en's three air‑pollution policies precisely address Kaohsiung residents' deep anxiety over air quality and health threats. As Taiwan's heavy‑industry and petrochemical hub, Kaohsiung has long borne the environmental costs of national economic development, making air quality a fiercely contested issue in local elections. Ko's proposal of “no re‑activation of retired coal plants” explicitly calls on the municipal and central governments to confront the retirement mechanism for aging power units and eliminate any possibility of their revival; regarding industrial restructuring, she advocates a “petrochemical relocation and transformation” strategy, seeking a balance between workers' employment rights and industrial upgrading; additionally, to tackle the health risks most feared by citizens, she proposes “expanding lung‑cancer screening,” aiming to reduce disease risk for Kaohsiung residents through early detection and increased medical resources. The three measures are highly targeted and reflect the urgency of advancing a green transition and health rights in the south.

Conversely, DPP mayoral candidate Lai Jui‑lung chose a softer, motivational sports theme as today's focal point. Lai personally appeared or used public channels to convey his sincerest respect and blessings to the athletes who will represent Taiwan at the Asian Games, wishing them breakthroughs and top performances on the international stage, and to earn the highest honor for the nation. Sports policy and athlete care have received heightened attention in Taiwan in recent years, not only as a showcase of soft power but also as an emotional link for countless sports fans and grassroots families. Lai's move demonstrates long‑term concern for sports development and, by rallying support for national athletes, narrows the gap with citizens, shaping a sunny, warm, and supportive image for the national team.

From the latest moves of these two Kaohsiung mayoral candidates, although their issue focus differs sharply, both carry profound political significance and campaign strategy. Ko Chih‑en opts for a direct confrontation of Kaohsiung's toughest environmental and air‑pollution challenges, aiming to win the endorsement of environmental groups, rank‑and‑file workers, and health‑concerned residents; such topics test a candidate's policy depth and resolve, while also demanding nuanced articulation of the trade‑off between industrial development and environmental protection. In contrast, Lai leverages athletes as a rallying point, transmitting positive energy and a sense of national pride; this cross‑party, unifying issue can broaden his support base and project a moderate, steady leadership style. Their distinct tracks highlight the diversity of the Kaohsiung mayoral race.

As the campaign progresses, Kaohsiung's future development direction draws close scrutiny from all quarters. Whether confronting the air‑pollution challenges and health guarantees that accompany heavy‑industry transformation, or rooting the city's identity in sports by caring for elite athletes and enhancing civic pride, these are indispensable pieces of the port city's future puzzle. Voters, when evaluating candidates, not only assess the feasibility of proposed solutions to local pain points but also look for a forward‑looking, inclusive urban vision. This campaign, woven from air‑pollution policy and sports support, mirrors Kaohsiung's transition to its next stage; how each camp continues to present persuasive platforms will be decisive for the election outcome. (Source: Central News Agency)