By Ko Shu-ling
STAFF REPORTER
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday emphasized the importance of regional economic integration, calling the phenomenon a “mega trend,” adding that Taiwan must make efforts to prevent being marginalized in the process.
As ASEAN Plus One is scheduled to come into force on Jan. 1, Ma said China was likely to catch up with Japan to become the world’s second-largest economy “by the end of this year” (sic).
“Such a free-trade zone will become one of the world’s largest because of the population of the region and its economic scale, which is second to the EU and North America,” he said in his weekly video address made public yesterday.
“The ASEAN Plus One can create many opportunities for mainland China and an ASEAN countries,” he said.
ASEAN PLUS SIX
From the EU, North America and ASEAN Plus One to ASEAN Plus Two and ASEAN Plus Three, Ma said there could be ASEAN Plus Six in future.
“The regional economy is gradually moving toward the road of integration,” he said. “During the process of integration, Taiwan must avoid being marginalized.”
Ma said that during his stint as Taipei mayor, he was invited to speak at an Eastern Asia Summit in 2003.
The talk was titled “Why Not 10 Plus 4?” he said, adding that at that time he was asking why Taiwan could not become the fourth country to sign a free-trade agreement with ASEAN countries.
REGION
Ma said Taiwan must strengthen its connections with the region and seek business opportunities because it is the right way to go.
As his administration is seeking to sign an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with Beijing, Ma said Taiwan cannot afford to ignore the rise of China.
It is inevitable that Taiwan will develop a closer economic relationship with China while East Asia is seeking economic integration, he said.
“We are doing this not only with the mainland,” he said. “We hope to develop such a relationship with our major trading partners.”
BEGINNINGS
Taiwan began the process with Singapore more than 10 years ago, Ma said, adding that the negotiations did not go well because of China’s suppression and the former Democratic Progressive Party’s insistence on using the title “Taiwan.”
After Taiwan and China sign an ECFA, Ma said he hoped other countries and major trading partners would change their attitude.
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
A cat named Mikan (蜜柑) has brought in revenue of more than NT$10 million (US$305,390) for the Kaohsiung MRT last year. Mikan, born on April 4, 2020, was a stray cat before being adopted by personnel of Kaohsiung MRT’s Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station. Mikan was named after a Japanese term for mandarin orange due to his color and because he looks like an orange when curled up. He was named “station master” of Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station in September 2020, and has since become famous. With Kaohsiung MRT’s branding, along with the release of a set of cultural and creative products, station master Mikan
Eleven people, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸), were taken into custody today for questioning regarding the evasion of compulsory military service and document forgery, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. Eight of the people, including Wang, are suspected of evading military service, while three are suspected of forging medical documents to assist them, the report said. They are all being questioned by police and would later be transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation. Three men surnamed Lee (李), Chang (張) and Lin (林) are suspected of improperly assisting conscripts in changing their military classification from “stand-by
LITTORAL REGIMENTS: The US Marine Corps is transitioning to an ‘island hopping’ strategy to counterattack Beijing’s area denial strategy The US Marine Corps (USMC) has introduced new anti-drone systems to bolster air defense in the Pacific island chain amid growing Chinese military influence in the region, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. The new Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Mk 1 is being developed to counter “the growing menace of unmanned aerial systems,” it cited the Marine Corps as saying. China has constructed a powerful defense mechanism in the Pacific Ocean west of the first island chain by deploying weapons such as rockets, submarines and anti-ship missiles — which is part of its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy against adversaries — the
RSS