More trade talks in the works: Ma

“'We're far away from you, and ECFA has nothing to do with us,' Ma quoted the speakers as saying. 'Yet we're glad to see, in the midst of warfares and violence in the world, that there's still peace somewhere in the world.'”

“Let's compare Taiwan Strait with the Korean Peninsula,” Ma added. “This is the 60 anniversary of the Korean War, and there is still tension in the region. Yet, peace has prevailed across the Taiwan Strait.”

During the meeting, many KMT Central Review Committee members aired their opinions on what the party should do to have a better future.

Some members opposed the party's decision to rid itself of all its assets. They said the party should shell out NT$100,000 to each KMT member who has been with the party for over five decades.

Some members lauded the party's action to crack down on bribery and other corrupt activities in the lead-up to the elections. Some said the party should basically ignore voters from southern Taiwan 50 years of age or older, who have mostly made up their mind on who to vote for. Instead, the party should focus on younger voters, they said.

In a related story, Premier Wu Den-yih said yesterday the government has effectively eliminated the three major obstacles to attracting investors to Taiwan.

Wu made the statement while announcing the opening of a government Global Investors United Service Center, a one-stop office that will take care of all the needs of overseas investors.

Wu said that in the past, foreign investors had to go to different government agencies to take care of business. “With the unite service center, this will be a thing of the past,” Wu said.

He encouraged businesses to come to Taiwan, as the government has removed the three major hurdles hindering global investment.

First, Taiwan has overcome the issue of cross-strait tension, and Taiwan-China ties have been their best in 60 years, he said.

Second, cross-strait flights are now a reality, helping investors reduce the cost of traveling between the two sides via a third destination.

Third, Taiwan has lowered the business income tax to 17 percent and has signed ECFA, enabling businesses to lower cost through reduced tax.

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