Taiwan can ink FTA with Singapore: President Ma Ying-jeou

Ma expressed the hope in an interview with two Singapore-based newspapers, Straits Times and Lien He Zao Bao, at the Presidential Office on Friday.

Ma said talks between Taiwan and Singapore on the signing of the FTA were suspended some four to five years ago, as Taiwan then insisted on using “Taiwan” as its official title to ink the pact, which Singapore said it could not accept the title.

Taiwan authorities later decided to change the title to “Taiwan Economic Entity,” which, however, remained unacceptable to Singapore.

Ma said that Taiwan now can use the same title as adopted in its membership title in the World Trade Organization (WTO) —Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu Separate Customs Territories, to sign the FTA with Singapore.

He said after winning the presidential election, he expressed the hope of signing an FTA with Singapore, winning positive response from Singapore.

Ma continued that the Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded by saying that if Taiwan improve ties with mainland China and proceeds well in bilateral talks on signing free trade pacts, and as long as economic affairs are not politicized, there exists many possibilities for Taiwan and Singapore to enhance their economic cooperation.

In fact, Ma noted, the ministerial meeting between Taiwan and Singapore, which was suspended for years, was renewed in April this year, with a Taiwanese delegation, led by Economic Minister Yiin Chii-ming, visiting Singapore to hold talks with a delegation headed by its Minister of Trade and Industry. Both sides exchanged views on Taiwan's proposal to sign an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with mainland China, and economic cooperation between Taiwan and Singapore.

During the talks, Singapore delegates promised to transfer their experiences in negotiating with China on the signing of an FTA between both countries, and also expressed interest in joining the 12 i-Taiwan (Love Taiwan) development projects, especially the Taoyuan aviation city project.

Ma also stressed in the interview that Taiwan shows high regard for the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to be held in November in Singapore, adding that Taiwan hopes to become a partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

When asked about his willingness to attend the informal leadership meeting of the APEC forum in Singapore, Ma said that he's willing to go to any place but not all his willingness can be realized.

Touching on two-way trade between Taiwan and Singapore, Ma smoothly came out with a spate of statistics, saying that Singapore has become Taiwan's sixth-largest trading partner with two-way trade of US$16 billion. Of the total trade, Taiwan's exports to Singapore accounted for US$11 billion, making the island have an annual surplus of US$6 billion in trade with Singapore.

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