At Thursday's Cabinet meeting, Premier Lai Ching-te instructed government agencies to work in cooperation with local authorities on infrastructure projects at the Port of Keelung and rapidly complete new port facilities. By linking trade and economic policies with strategies encompassing port operations overall, as well as working diligently toward improving the prestige of both Taiwan's harbors and cities, authorities will be able to raise competitiveness at commercial ports while also advancing the development of industry, tourism and the entire economy.
Taiwan's commercial cruise industry has experienced rapid growth recently, boasting the second largest market in Asia two years in a row, the premier said. The number of passengers on international cruises served by Taiwan also jumped from 750,000 in 2016 to 980,000 in 2017. When cross-strait cruises are included, the figure for 2017 broke the million-passenger mark to reach 1.14 million, of which 860,000 passed through the Port of Keelung, named the best cruise home port in Asia. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Ministry of Culture are all working closely with the Keelung City Government on a range of infrastructure projects to create a brand new image for Keelung Port and ensure continued and steady growth in passenger and cargo volumes.
The two major commercial ports in Taiwan—Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south—both have more than a century of history, and are important centers for the nation's logistics industry and exports. Bidding for the construction of a new passenger and freight services building in Keelung will take place in mid-2019, with work on another passenger center to be completed by the end of that year. The projects will transform Keelung into a major port of call for cruise ships in East Asia. The harbor at Kaohsiung, on the other hand, is the Asia-Pacific's first certified EcoPort, and construction began this month on a new passenger and shipping center. Once completed and put into operation at the end of 2019, the new facility will put Kaohsiung on the map as another important port of call for international cruise ships.