Ma offers to debate ECFA with Tsai

Speaking on the issue during an interview with the cable network CTI TV, Ma again warned that if such an agreement is not signed, Taiwan will soon face an exodus of local industries, especially those in the petrochemical sector, which will greatly affect the country's economy.

“The DPP is definitely aware of this situation, but it is simply branding me as leaning toward China.” said Ma, who serves concurrently as chairman of the ruling Kuomintang.

“Could they (the DPP) please identify one thing I did that could be construed as China-leaning?” he asked.

Ma said he hopes the debate with Tsai will take place after the ECFA negotiations with China have produced some results, which will be a better time to determine whether the agreement would be favorable or unfavorable to Taiwan.

The president gave the assurance that even after the ECFA is signed, the government will only liberalize the importation of certain necessary items, and there will be no expansion of agricultural imports from China.

He promised that the government will promote the signing of the ECFA in a transparent manner because it has the responsibility to make the people understand that the agreement is essential to preventing marginalization of Taiwan's economy.

Responding to Ma's suggestion of a debate, DPP spokeswoman Hsiao Bi-khim said her party has been waiting for such an opportunity for a long time and expects the president to extend an official invitation to Tsai.

Tsai will respond as soon as she receives the invitation, Hsiao said.

Also commenting on Ma's suggestion Saturday, Premier Wu Den-yih said a debate between Tsai and Ma, who is also chairman of the ruling Kuomintang, will help focus the public's attention on the issue.

It will also help to give the people a better idea of the likely benefits and disadvantages of the agreement and allow them to form a truer picture of the situation, Wu said.

He agreed that a public explanation by the administration is crucial to clearing up misunderstandings about the government's policies.

For example, he said, none of the 1,415 Chinese agricultural products that are allowed into Taiwan were liberalized by the Ma administration, but some farmers in central and southern Taiwan are convinced that it was Ma who lifted the restrictions and are concerned that the signing of the ECFA will lead to an expansion of agricultural imports from China.

The truth, Wu noted, is that the restrictions on 936 of the items were lifted during the former DPP administration led by former President Chen Shui-bian, and 479 others were allowed in during the previous 50 years.

Pointing to another example, Wu said although the government has repeatedly assured the public that Taiwan will not open up to Chinese laborers, many people are being misled into believing that there will be an influx of Chinese workers after the signing of the ECFA.

According to the premier, the government has not been able to clearly explain the details of the ECFA to the public because there had been no substantial results from the negotiations with China.

Today, however, the lists of products to be covered by an early harvest program under the trade deal are gradually taking shape through negotiations between the two sides, he said.

The results of a recent survey revealed that 48 percent of the people are in favor of the pact while more than 30 percent are against it, which indicates that the government should step up communication with the people and legislators to seek a stronger consensus on the issue, Wu said.

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