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Updated Sunday, March 8, 2009 1:08 am TWN, The China Post news staff Signing ECFA with No. 1 export market vital to Taiwan trade: MaMa made the remarks when speaking at an EMBA forum on the “economic and commercial development across the Taiwan Strait in the wake of global financial tsunami.” Ma said if Taiwan is to normalize ties with mainland China, it should move to talk with mainland China on the signing of ECFA as soon as possible and concrete conclusions must be worked out during the talks. The President cited a study report by the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research indicating that Taiwan will see at least an additional 100,000 people become jobless if it fails to complete talks with China on inking the ECFA before long. He continued that Taiwan won't see its interests undermined by the signing of the ECFA, as the government here will not liberalize whatever might be detrimental to Taiwan, such as imports of mainland Chinese labor and agricultural products. Also yesterday, Chairman Morris Chang of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) endorsed the government's plan to sign the ECFA, saying that it would not be too late to sign the proposed pact with China by the end of this year. Chang made the remarks to reporters after giving a keynote speech at a public policy forum at National Chengchi University. Chang said he supports the government's goal to clinch free trade agreements with Taiwan's prime trading partners, and it is important to provide a clear explanation of the proposed ECFA with China so that the public can gain a proper understanding of the issue. On another front, Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said that Ma's administration is a little naive in being optimistic that signing an ECFA with China will not compromise Taiwan's independent sovereignty. Tsai urged the government to be cautious in handling the ECFA issue, as “there is nothing free under the sun.” Just one day earlier, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan pledged at a Legislative Yuan session that Taiwan's independent sovereignty will not be compromised by the signing of an ECFA with China. Liu also repeated a promise that the proposed agreement would not allow Chinese workers into Taiwan and would not open Taiwan's market any wider to agricultural products. In response to fierce criticism from the opposition DPP and the Taiwan Solidarity Union over the proposed ECFA with China, the government has repeatedly said that a trade agreement with China is vital for Taiwan to maintain its economic competitiveness in the world market and avoid marginalization when China and ASEAN form a free trade bloc in 2010. Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here Comments March 8, 2009 mcwizard@ Reply When Ma was elected, most of the world praised his intelligence and pragmatic approach to government. We should take advantage of his skills and support his efforts in putting Taiwan back on the track to peace and prosperity. When confronted by a DPP supporter recently on the MRT, I was surprised to learn that while he was preaching for Taiwan's independence, his wife and children were living in California. This is a typical hypocritical DPP position. |
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