Taiwan should bundle trade pact talks: scholars

Chen Po-chih, chairman of the non-governmental Taiwan ThinkTank, and several economics professors made the remarks at a forum that discussed the pros and cons of an ECFA.

"Taiwan should follow the lead of the World Trade Organization, which admitted China and Taiwan almost at the same time," Chen suggested. "Talks with China on an ECFA should be held in step with negotiations on free trade agreements (FTAs) with other nations."

Also, China should promise not to foil Taiwan's attempts to discuss FTAs with other countries, he added.

The proposed pact with Beijing has spurred fierce criticisms from the opposition which argued that it would downgrade Taiwan's status and pave the way for unification with China.

President Ma Ying-jeou said on Feb. 27 that the pact would not involve the sensitive issues of unification or independence but rather, it would be part of Taiwan's efforts to better position itself in the global economic landscape.

At the forum, Taiwan ThinkTank consultant Yang Chia-yen agreed with Chen that an assurance of non-interference from Beijing on Taiwan's bid to sign FTAs with other countries should be a prerequisite to any talks on an ECFA.

While signing an ECFA with China might be a "sedative" or "pain killer" for Taiwan's ailing economy, a responsible

government should not mislead the Taiwanese people into believing that such an economic agreement could be a cure, Yang said.

The government keeps saying that only by signing an ECFA with China can Taiwan avoid being marginalized in the Southeast Asian economic integration, Hong Tsai-lung noted. However, it is precisely the Southeast Asian trade agreement that would serve China as a another weapon to suppress Taiwan in the international community, he added.

"China's proposal and its manipulation in pushing for an ECFA with Taiwan is a clear indication that its economic stagecraft of 'kindly inviting Taiwan into a trap' over the years is now working," Hong said. Given that China has consistently blocked Taiwan from signing FTAs with other countries, there must be malicious intent behind its offer to sign a trade pact with Taiwan, he inferred.

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