Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) said on Friday that Taiwan needed to sign a trade pact with China, but added that the government would not open its doors too wide to China.
Making his case in Taiwanese at a forum on a proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Siew said that when the global economy was in crisis, Taiwan felt its impact. Given that these crises occur about every 10 years, Taiwan must find ways to cope with these challenges, he said.
In dealing with the crisis, Taiwan has many challenges to overcome: its national competitiveness must be enhanced, it must actively innovate domestically, and it needs markets abroad.
Furthermore, as Asian economies continue to integrate, Taiwan cannot be left on the outside, Siew said.
“Taiwan needs to sign an ECFA with China. Otherwise, it will be marginalized,” he said.
If Taiwan signs an ECFA with China, investment and employment opportunities will increase, and exports will grow, he said.
“This is a crucial moment for the nation, and we must seize the opportunity,” he added.
He said Taiwan would not open its doors too wide to China while negotiating the trade pact.
“Taiwan will start with the items it needs the most and then gradually move on to others,” Siew said, adding that “we will solicit the maximum benefit, and we hope to minimize the pressure on us in the future.”
He said that Taiwan’s goal was tariff concessions and the protection of investments and intellectual property rights.
“Taiwan will also insist on not allowing in more Chinese agricultural products or opening the door to Chinese workers,” he said.
Siew acknowledged that the ECFA would not benefit some sectors, and he said the government would try its best to exclude those sectors in the ECFA negotiations or put them off to a later date.
Meanwhile, the second round of talks on the ECFA, which Taiwan had originally hoped would take place in Taipei some time this month, are now most likely to be held at the end of the month, economic officials said.
The focus of the second round of negotiations will be the exchange of “early harvest” lists, which refer to industries and services on both sides that will be granted immediate tariff concessions or more liberal trade terms under the ECFA.
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
The Chinese military has boosted its capability to fight at a high tempo using the element of surprise and new technology, the Ministry of National Defense said in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) published on Monday last week. The ministry highlighted Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) developments showing significant changes in Beijing’s strategy for war on Taiwan. The PLA has made significant headway in building capabilities for all-weather, multi-domain intelligence, surveillance, operational control and a joint air-sea blockade against Taiwan’s lines of communication, it said. The PLA has also improved its capabilities in direct amphibious assault operations aimed at seizing strategically important beaches,
‘MALIGN PURPOSE’: Governments around the world conduct espionage operations, but China’s is different, as its ultimate goal is annexation, a think tank head said Taiwan is facing a growing existential threat from its own people spying for China, experts said, as the government seeks to toughen measures to stop Beijing’s infiltration efforts and deter Taiwanese turncoats. While Beijing and Taipei have been spying on each other for years, experts said that espionage posed a bigger threat to Taiwan due to the risk of a Chinese attack. Taiwan’s intelligence agency said China used “diverse channels and tactics” to infiltrate the nation’s military, government agencies and pro-China organizations. The main targets were retired and active members of the military, persuaded by money, blackmail or pro-China ideology to steal
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS