New Taipei mayoral hopeful Lee Sichuan proposes AI industrial belt for job growth

In the New Taipei City mayoral race, Li Sichuan has focused his campaign on the development of an "AI Technology Industrial Corridor," emphasizing that adjustments to urban planning to increase industrial land will help companies find suitable sites and create local job opportunities. As the Kuomintang's (KMT) main candidate, Li’s proposal is not only an investment in technological innovation but also a response to the city’s growing competitiveness in the nation’s tech industry landscape. Since 2018, New Taipei City has branded itself as an "Innovation City," attracting multiple semiconductor, cloud computing, and smart manufacturing firms. Li’s plan aims to extend this momentum into the broader artificial intelligence sector.

Against the backdrop of Taiwan’s rapid technological transformation, AI has become a key driver for upgrading the manufacturing sector and innovating in services. The industrial corridor proposed by Li would combine government resources with private investment to build a complete chain encompassing research and development, manufacturing, testing, and application. This initiative is designed to attract both domestic and foreign investment, enhance the technological capabilities of local enterprises, and reduce reliance on external dependencies. Crucially, Li emphasizes a core focus on "local employment," aiming to enable young people to find high-paying jobs in their hometowns, thereby addressing social issues such as population outflow and rising youth unemployment.

However, elections often bring uncertainty to the business environment. In his speeches, Li has called for avoiding any negative impact of the campaign on merchants, ensuring that shop owners can conduct business with peace of mind. This stance aligns with the KMT’s traditional advocacy for "economic stability" and serves as a reminder to voters that elections should not accelerate business risks. For New Taipei City’s economy, a stable business environment is the foundation for attracting investment and maintaining the quality of life for residents. Excessive campaigning or policy uncertainty during the election process could erode corporate investment confidence and even disrupt the normal functioning of the industrial chain.

Li’s proposal also delves into the deep structures of urban planning and land policy. New Taipei City faces the dual challenges of insufficient land supply and urbanization pressure, making it a significant challenge to allocate industrial land reasonably without compromising the residential environment. Li proposes adjusting urban planning with a "priority for industrial land" approach, converting some originally designated residential land to industrial use, while simultaneously upgrading public facilities to ensure a balance of interests between enterprises and residents. If implemented, this would significantly enhance New Taipei City’s competitiveness in the national tech industry.

Ultimately, Li’s policy platform is not merely an economic proposal but a vision for the future development direction of New Taipei City. From the AI industrial corridor to youth employment, and from stabilizing the business environment to optimizing urban planning, his overall blueprint demonstrates a deep focus on local revitalization and technological innovation. If supported in the election, this would bring New Taipei City a more forward-looking development path and provide a new case study for the upgrading of Taiwan’s overall tech industry. (Source: Central News Agency)