As the big Taiwan electronic games expo gears up for its twelfth annual exhibition next week, the country’s Vice President had some very interesting comments to make about gambling. Annette Lu had joined a group of people supporting the idea of developing casinos on Taiwan’s offshore islands, and the Government is known to be considering the plan as a way to boost the local economy and attract tourists.

According to Vice President Lu, when people understand about the operation of casinos they will not oppose them. She went so far as to claim that as contemporary casinos are high-tech they can become intellectually stimulating entertainment centres, although she may find that this opinion does not find universal approval. She also declares herself to be opposed to casinos in principle.

With such contradictory signals from the Taiwanese Government, it may be some time before any casino operations start. However, the Penghu islands are hot contenders for casino development, which is widely supported by the locals. Annette Lu was on an official state visit to Palau, an island nation in Micronesia and one of the few to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan, where she and the President of Palau presided over the opening of the Taiwan-funded Palau Royal Resort Hotel. She endorsed plans to attract new investment to Penghu and said it was time for Taiwan to seize the opportunity to develop its tourist industry.

The Penghu islands in the Formosa Strait may be beautiful but the strong cold winds that blow for up to eight months of the year are not conducive to business. A casino industry would boost the local economy whilst minimising adverse social effects by being in sparsely populated areas.

GTI Expo 2005 runs from July 8-10 at the Taiwan World Trade Center in Taipei. It attracts buyers from five continents and over 50 countries. This year the expo is expected to set new records on visitor numbers and exhibitors. (E-06.29.05)

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