The US Congress is expected to consider a new proposal for a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan this year, a US-based organization has said.
While it remains unlikely that a bill will pass this year, the tactic is to create enough momentum to give it a fighting chance next year.
News of the proposed bill surfaced following US President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, during which he called on Congress to pass an FTA with South Korea “as soon as possible.”
Republicans, who now control the House of Representatives, also want to consider FTAs with Panama and Colombia before June.
With those agreements out of the way and Connecticut independent Senator Joseph Lieberman now pushing for a vote on a congressional resolution urging quick approval of all three trade pacts, the proposed Taiwan FTA would move up the line.
Coen Blaauw, executive director of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA), told the Taipei Times his organization would seek to introduce a Taiwan Free Trade bill in the next few months.
They hope to attract a coalition of sponsors from the Taiwan Caucus and the Ways and Means Committee, which would be called upon to consider the bill.
“We need to kickstart the Free Trade Agreement for Taiwan and give it some momentum,” Blaauw said. “It’s an idea whose time has come. We are encouraged by President Obama’s support of the [South] Korean FTA. And after that, it will be Taiwan’s turn.”
Blaauw, who has already sounded out Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill about the proposed bill, said that it was important not only to boost trade but also “for Taiwan’s survival as a country.”
He said there were fears that China might eventually use the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) to “blackmail” Taiwan and that an FTA with the US would provide Taipei with “freedom” to deal with such a move.
A study published by the Peterson Institute for International Economics on a Taiwan FTA found that Taiwan “has a special status for the US as both a leading high-technology economic partner and a place of political and security concern.”
The study looked at both the economic benefits and at the potential impact that an FTA would have on “securing a prosperous and secure future for Taiwan.”
A final analysis indicated that the direct economic benefits would be “modest” and that an FTA would be most valuable to the US if it “leads Taiwan toward greater regional integration.”
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
RSS