Gov't looking to talk to China on CECA

Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan revealed the plan yesterday in response to the anxiety about the business prospects expressed by some business and industry leaders.

The MAC distributed a brochure explaining the government's latest policies with China at a joint Spring Festival reception attended by business and industry leaders Monday to welcome the arrival of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Participants at the gathering included investors with business operations in China.

President Ma Ying-jeou and officials from the MAC and the semiofficial Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) also attended the annual reception.

Some business leaders expressed concern about the possible preconditions set by the MAC in the CECA talks with China.

They pointed out that the CECA issue should rank among the top priorities in new talks with Beijing since the “ASEAN plus three” trade arrangement — which allows tariff reduction and exemption for 90 percent of products traded among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, China, Japan, and South Korea — is set to take effect next year.

But Taiwan will be put at a tremendous disadvantage because it will be excluded from the pact.

Lai explained that the brochure was printed in December last year and some contents might not be able to reflect new developments in recent months.

Lai, who has in the past personally taken part in trade talks about Taiwan's admission into the World Trade Organization (WTO), also said a more cautious stance should be taken toward the complicated CECA issue.

Another factor is that the MAC needs time to coordinate and integrate the opinions held by various government agencies and business organization.

Lai said signing CECA with China to improve trade relations is among President Ma's election campaign policies that will be fulfilled.

She also noted that Chinese President Hu Jintao had made a positive response to Ma's proposal in his New Year's address.

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