Make a Star out of Kaohsiung, not Singapore

Make a Star out of Kaohsiung, not SingaporeUnited Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 19, 2010

On Taiwan, Singapore has suddenly become a star. It has become the theme of the five cities mayoral elections.
Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County are being merged into one, and will hold its first mayoral election. Three camps are scrambling to transform Kaohsiung into another Singapore. The most dramatic of these was Kaohsiung County Chief Yang Chiu-hsing, who quit the DPP and during his swearing-in ceremony declared his intention of transforming Kaohsiuing into another Singapore. The media splashed this news across their front pages. In fact Yang Chiu-hsing was merely following in the footsteps of KMT candidate Huang Chao-shun. The week before, at one of his rallies, Huang cited "surpassing Singapore" as his primary goal. Not to be outdone, another candidate, the DPP's Chen Chu, claimed she had already begun planning for a special economic and trading zone, with Singapore as her template.

Estimates for Singapore's economic growth this year begin at 13 percent, and run as high as 15 percent. Among those countries that have made strong recoveries from the global financial crisis, Singapore's has been especially noteworthy.

In recent years many people have called for a totally free "special economic and trading zone." They hope to transform Taiwan into an "island of freedom." They hope to persuade multinationals to establish operational headquarters and operations centers here. Special economic and trading zones share one fundamental trait. They are invariably situated within the freest and most open nations of the world. They take maximum advantage of their freedom and openess to achieve superior competitiveness. Among Asia's Four Little Dragons, Singapore's record is the most enviable. Singapore's per capita income is over twice as high as as Taiwan's.

The government has already created a dazzling variety of SARs. These range from the early "export processing zones" to the latest "free trade zones." Therefore people trumpet "special economic and trading zones," others cannot help wondering, why so many special zones? Why so much redundancy? Some even wonder whether special economic and trading zones are being tailor-made specifically for sweatshops such as Foxconn. Is the gap between wages for foreign workers in SARs and the minimum wage merely for the benefit of Taiwan businesses? Is it merely so they can use cheaper foreign labor? Such endless suspicions are difficult to rebut. But a simple answer is enough: "Create a New Singapore!"

Industries in Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County are withering. Unemployment is at record highs. From Kaohsiung's perspective, such a remedy is just what the doctor ordered. Whatever Singapore has, Kaohsiung has in equal measure. For example, it has an outstanding deep-water port, a pleasant climate all year round, wide expanses of fertile land, a hard-working, frugal, down to earth Chinese population. Greater Kaohsiung has no defects that would prevent her from becoming another Singapore. But for a long time, Kaohsiung was trapped behind an array of trade barriers. It blockaded itself from developments on the other side of the Taiwan Strait. This made it difficult for Kaohsiung to become another Singapore. Even worse, it demoted Kaohsiung from the 3rd largest port in the world to the 13th.

Singapore's governance ranks first in the world. Kaohsiung's city fathers, on the other hand, encased themselves within ideological cocoons. They remained indifferent to the people's desire for growth and prosperity. Everything in Singapore, from its national airport to its public housing, is beautiful and orderly. Kaohsiung on the other hand, remains chaotic and confused. The contrasts are endless. But they can be summed up simply. Singapore's government cares. Ours doesn't.

ECFA has opened Taiwan's doors. In the coming years, it will open itself up to the world. It will remove trade barriers. We are finally doing what Singapore has been doing for the past 30 years. We have finally removed the chains that prevented Taiwan from keeping up with Singapore. Consider this a starting point. Consider our objective circumstances. Greater Kaohsiung has the same natural resources as Singapore. It too can be transformed into a beautiful and pleasant city. Its infrastructure, central business district, and architecture can be raised to the same international standard. These, combined with its unique cultural characteristics, its human resources, its natural beauty, and its leisure facilities, can create an attractive residential and business environment. Kaohsiung will catch up with Singapore. It will also benefit from greater proximity to Mainland China's coastal areas. This will enable it to surpass Singapore.

Perhaps one day people will not talk about how "Kaohsiung hopes to become another Singapore." Perhaps one day the inhabitants of East Asian ports will talk about how they "hope to become another Kaohsiung!"

We have made a star of Singapore. How can we make a star of Kaohsiung? This is not impossible. Lest we forget, Kaohsiung was once the world's third largest port. Kaohsiung's rebirth will mark Taiwan's transformation.

要有捧紅新加坡不如捧紅高雄的志氣
【聯合報╱社論】
2010.08.19 03:14 am

新加坡忽然在台灣暴紅，成為年底五都選戰的焦點。

高雄市縣合併選舉第一任市長，三組人馬都爭著要讓高雄新加坡化。最富戲劇性的，當屬脫離民進黨的高雄縣長楊秋興，在其誓師大會中，高喊高雄要成為新加坡第二，被媒體以斗大的標題放在一版頭條。然而，楊秋興的口號顯然仿效自國民黨候選人黃昭順；因為一周之前，黃在其造勢大會中即以「超越新加坡」做為主要訴求。另一位候選人，民進黨的陳菊也不甘示弱，隨即宣稱已開始規劃設置以新加坡為藍本的經貿特區。

新加坡今年預估全年經濟成長率可高達十三％乃至十五％，在強自要從金融海嘯的創傷中掙扎再起的全球各國之中，表現格外亮眼。

其實，近年來不少有心人不斷鼓吹以全面自由開放的「經貿特區」，迎向台灣成為「自由島」的憧憬，並藉以廣招跨國企業投資設置營運總部、運籌中心；而經貿特區的基本輪廓，正是在全球各國中自由開放程度最高，且最善於利用其自由開放特色創造高人一等的競爭力，成為亞洲四小龍中最令人稱羨、每人所得高逾台灣兩倍的新加坡。

台灣已經設置了令人眼花撩亂的各種特區，從早期的「加工出口區」到最新的「自由貿易港區」，林林總總，不一而足；因而當鼓吹設置「經貿特區」時，不免有人質疑，已有這許多特區，何必再疊床架屋？甚至有人譏諷道：經貿特區難道是為了讓富士康之類的血汗工廠回流而特別量身打造？特區中的外勞薪資是否將與基本工資脫鉤，以利台商運用更廉價的外勞？這類完全從負面觀點出發，在細節上糾纏不休的質疑，的確會令人唇焦舌敝也難以回應。但一個簡單的答案即足以解說一切：「打造一個新加坡！」

這個答案對百業凋零、失業率名列前茅的高雄縣市而言，尤其對症無比，有如量身訂做。凡新加坡有的，高雄都有，諸如：傲視群倫、條件無與倫比的深水大港；一樣四季宜人的氣候；廣闊平坦、土地肥沃的自然環境；勤奮努力、節儉樸實的「華人」；大高雄可謂沒有任何缺陷能阻止她成為新加坡。但長久以來，高雄深陷於層巒疊障的貿易壁壘之中，又特別自我封鎖於海峽彼岸的蓬勃發展之外；這不僅讓高雄難望新加坡項背，而且坐視高雄港從全球前三名直落到十三名。

新加坡的治理能力全球第一，而高雄的治理者卻迄仍以意識形態作繭自縛，對人民求之若渴的發展與繁華則置之度外；新加坡從機場到住宅，處處美輪美奐、井然有序；高雄則蕪雜脫序、混亂無章。這樣的對比不勝枚舉，但可一言以蔽之：新加坡政府用心，而我們的政府則心不在焉。

如今，ＥＣＦＡ為台灣敲開了自由開放的大門，數年之間，將對全球自由開放、摒絕種種貿易壁壘，我們終於趕上了新加坡三十多年來的腳步，解除了台灣向新加坡看齊的最重大枷鎖。若以此為起點，先從外在環境下手，將天然環境與新加坡無殊的大高雄，也打造成同樣花團錦簇、美麗宜人的都市；將基礎設施、商圈、建築的水準提升到國際水準；結合文化特色、人文素養、天然美景、休閒設施，打造出宜人的生活空間、優美的經商環境；高雄不僅會趕上新加坡，而且挾其緊擁大陸沿海精華地區的優勢，輕易即可超越新加坡。

若是到了那一天，也許就再也聽不到「高雄要變成第二個新加坡」的說法，而可望見到東亞的海港說：「我們要變成第二個高雄！」

捧紅新加坡，何如捧紅高雄？這不是不可能，別忘了高雄畢竟曾是世界第三大港；當高雄再崛起之時，也就是台灣脫胎換骨的信號。