Ask Taiwan to push internationalization on Nov 02, 2004

Europe's businesses ask Taiwan to push internationalization

By Amber Chung
STAFF REPORTER 

The European Chamber of Com-merce in Taipei (ECCT) yesterday urged Taiwan to speed up the pace of its internationalization and further improve regulatory practices, as it released its 2004-2005 Position Papers.

The chamber, which rep-resents 325 multinational companies in Taiwan across 25 industries, said regulatory difficulties are keeping international goods and services from entering the local market.

ECCT Chairman Dirk Saenger said the chamber has seen progress on some priority issues in the past year, but other key issues remain unsettled -- such as foreign companies' participation in government procurement projects and bans on certain goods shipped from China.

"Whilst the ECCT is pleased to see the extension of European business in Taiwan and in partnership with Taiwanese firms around the world, we are concerned about the sustained growth in our partnership if Taiwan does not take bolder steps to embrace internationalization," Saenger said.

In its review, the chamber welcomed significant achievements made in pharmaceutical data exclusivity, financial caps on infrastructure bids, improved automotive testing, as well as the easing of restrictions on Chinese staff and some importations.

The review also listed five priority areas for further improvement: Speed up cross-strait business normalization, give full access to government procurement projects, adopt international standards and conformity assessment procedures, for example in the automotive and machinery sectors, upgrade service industries to an international standard and improve market surveillance and the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR).

John Pickles, ECCT executive director, said the government should discard restrictive Taiwan-only practices and amend outdated regulations to achieve these goals.

"ECCT believes that Taiwan will gain more from embracing internationalization than it gives away in loss of protection," Pickles said.

Beijing attacks `Bush doctrine'

'COCKSURENESS AND ARROGANCE': On US election eve, the former foreign minister railed against the Bush administration, calling its policies 'superpower hegemonism'
AFP , BEIJING
 

China criticized US President George W. Bush's war on Iraq yesterday, accusing an "arrogant" US of trying to "rule the world" and blaming the US-led invasion for sparking an increase in terrorist attacks.

In a rare commentary by former vice-premier and former longtime foreign minister Qian Qichen , China broke its practice of not commenting on US presidential candidates and chastised Bush for his foreign policies.

"The philosophy of the `Bush Doctrine' is in essence force," Qian said in the government-run English-language China Daily.

"It advocates the United States should rule over the whole world with overwhelming force -- military force in particular," he said.

While supporting Bush's anti-terrorism efforts, China opposed the war in Iraq and sees the US administration's policies as an example of superpower hegemonism, which Beijing frequently rails against.

"The current US predicament in Iraq serves as another example that when a country's superiority psychology inflates beyond its real capability, a lot of trouble can be caused," Qian said.

"But the troubles and disasters the United States has met do not stem from threats by others, but from its own cocksureness and arrogance," he said.

Far from winning peace for itself and the Arab world, Washington has "opened a Pandora's box," intensifying ethnic and religious conflicts, he argued.

"The Iraq war was an optional war, not a necessary one, and the pre-emptive principle should be removed from the dictionary of the US national security, former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright also said," Qian wrote.

Mounting hostile sentiments in the Muslim world toward the US have already helped al-Qaeda recruit more followers and suicide martyrs, Qian said.

"The Iraq War has also destroyed the hard-won global anti-terror coalition," he said. "Instead of dropping, the number of terrorist activities throughout the world is now on the increase."

Since Bush took power, China has gone from being labeled a "strategic competitor" to a partner in the anti-terror campaign.

Critics say Beijing has used its counterterrorism cooperation with Washington to win support for its efforts to crush Uighur Muslim separatists in its restive northwestern Xinjiang region.

But in recent days Beijing has been angered by the US refusal to repatriate about a dozen Uighurs captured during the war on terror and held in Guantanamo Bay.

Washington has said it wants to resettle them in third countries amid concerns they will be persecuted if returned to China.

Analysts have said China may prefer Bush over Senator John Kerry, as Bush is a known quantity to Chinese leaders and Kerry has vowed to highlight economic disputes including the Chinese currency, labor practices and trade.

Lu warns against China

CNA AND AFP , TAIPEI 

Taiwan Vice President Annette Lu said yesterday that China is preparing to invade Taiwan while using the theory of a "peaceful rise" as a cover.

"The Chinese communists are releasing `peaceful rise' as a smoke-screen. What they are doing is strengthening their combat-preparedness," Lu said while speaking at the opening of a defense industry seminar.

She said China's defense bud-get was second highest in the world at NT2.2 trillion (US$66.38 billion), second only to that of the US. Taiwan's military spending accounted for one-ninth of that amount.

China plans to acquire up to three guided-missile destroyers each year and by 2010 its navy is expected to have 24 such destroyers, she said.

Lu said China's new electronic surveillance vessels had scouted much of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, particularly waters off Taiwan.

"Obviously, the Chinese communists are prepared to engage in a limited high-tech war," she said.

Foremost is the threat from hundreds of Chinese ballistic missiles targeting Taiwan, Lu warned. Taiwanese officials estimate there will be 800 by the end of 2006.

Lu yesterday also called on the private sector to participate in developing the defense industry to help strengthen the nation's defense capabilities.

Lu said that the participation in the reserve duty program of the private sector, particularly the technology industry, is very important to the country's defense industry development.

In the face of China's growing military buildup, which poses a serious threat to Taiwan's security, Lu said, Taiwan can only maintain cross-strait peace by obtaining sufficient defense capabilities.

Taiwan is a major country in terms of the development of advanced technology and the government is conducting nine programs for technology development.

Based on common use by the military and civilian sectors, Lu said, more than 12,000 individuals have contributed their expertise to the country's defense industry development since the defense industry reserve duty system was established in 1980.

Some gains for Taiwan in Powell's comments

By Chin Heng-wei 金恆煒

US Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit to Beijing has produced both good news and bad news for Taiwan.

The bad news is largely superficial, while the good news is more substantial. Balancing it all out, Taiwan has probably come out ahead.

Taiwan's media, especially the United Daily News has overemphasized Powell's statement about Taiwan not enjoying sovereignty as a nation and the US' rejection of Taiwan independence. But at the same time, Powell referred to President Chen Shui-bian as Taiwan's president. If Taiwan is not a sovereign nation, how can it have a president?

As far as the affirmation that Taiwan is not a sovereign nation and the US' rejection of Taiwan independence, Powell has not departed from the US' "one China" policy. He has simply been more explicit, with the aim of showing goodwill to his Chinese hosts. For Taiwan, this must be counted a loss.

But this loss is balanced by gains. Powell insisted to Beijing that the US had an obligation to maintain the Taiwan Relations Act, according to which the US pledges to ensure that Taiwan has adequate defensive capabilities. More importantly, one of the key issues of Powell's visit was the proposed arms sale to Taiwan, an issue on which Powell made no concessions whatsoever.

Even as Powell stated that the US rejects the idea of Taiwan independence, Washington is willing to arm Taiwan to resist the threat of forcible unification through invasion. The US rejects independence in the words it uses, but in its actions it arms Taiwan with defensive weapons.

Is China really the winner from the two-pronged US policy? Not necessarily.

The most amusing response was from Chang Jung-kung (張榮恭), the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT's) spokesman. He said that Powell's statement was a response to Chen's attempt to hide behind the shell of the Republic of China (ROC) in order to promote Taiwan independence.

But the point is that the US has long since ceased to accept the existence of the ROC and for that reason there is a Taiwan Relations Act and not an "ROC Relations Act." The fact that Powell emphasized that the US did not accept Taiwan independence indicates that the death sentence has already been passed on the ROC.

Establishing diplomatic relations with China in 1979 was the US way of dragging the ROC out to be shot. For Powell, the ROC does not exist anymore, so there can be no ROC "shell" to speak of.

As to whether Taiwan is a sovereign nation, this is totally unrelated to the ROC. So the KMT, which is wedded to the idea of the ROC, is totally unable to even become involved in the debate over Taiwan. The main point is what Taiwan's 23 million people want.

Senior adviser to the president Koo Kwang-ming's advertisement in the Washington Post and the New York Times has already raised a voice against the US' "one China" policy. The thaw is already beginning.

Get serious on cutting emissions

By Chen Jiau-hwa

At the June 1992 Rio de Janeiro Summit in Brazil, a total of 154 countries signed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The convention officially took effect in March 1994 with an aim of stabilizing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

We hope that by 2100 we will be able to restrict carbon dioxide levels to about 550 parts per million by volume in the atmosphere, which is twice the concentration as before the Industrial Revolution. In 1997, the third meeting of the convention signatories passed the Kyoto Protocol, which is legally binding, in order to regulate the responsibility of 38 industrialized nations and the EU to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Kyoto Protocol regulates the emission of six greenhouse gases. Of these gases, carbon dioxide is the most important for the greenhouse effect, accounting for 70 to 80 percent of emissions. Most of these emissions are the result of human energy consumption, such as the burning of fossil fuels, including coal, oil and natural gas.

Taiwan is not a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol. It ranks 22nd in the world as far as carbon dioxide emissions are concerned, and statistics from the Ministry of Economy's Bureau of Energy show that total emissions last year amounted to 255.98 million tonnes, or an average of 11.1 tonnes per person. Taiwan's average annual GDP growth between 1990 to last year was 5.3 percent, while average annual growth of carbon dioxide emissions was 6.3 percent. This is evidence that Taiwan's industrial structure leans toward high greenhouse gas emissions and inefficient energy use.

The Kyoto Protocol has had a substantive impact on global trade interaction. Since pressure to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions means that it is no longer simply an environmental issue, the protocol will have a serious effect on the future of industrial development in Taiwan, leading to intensified industrial competition and putting Taiwan in a bad light in the eyes of the world.

The raising of import restrictions in other countries will have a major impact on our foreign trade, unless Taiwan takes the initiative to cut emission levels and strengthen its negotiation mechanisms. For example, demands that all exports be included in greenhouse gas emission reduction standards and that energy efficiency standards be improved may become a basic export standard.

Inability to meet these requirements would create export difficulties, which would have an impact on major Taiwanese industries such as the semiconductor, liquid-crystal display, steel, cement, textile, home electronics and auto industries.

Even while it was considering whether or not to sign the Kyoto Protocol, the government continued to develop industries which generate large amounts of carbon dioxide, as well as large volumes of wastewater, such as the sixth naphtha cracking plant in Mailiao, Yunlin County, which raised Taiwan's carbon dioxide emissions by tens of millions of tonnes in a few years.

The government also ignored overall environmental pollution and emission controls, and it continues to promote industries with low production volumes and high energy consumption that create high levels of carbon dioxide emissions and large volumes of wastewater. Such industries include the steel works the China Steel Group is planning in the Taichung harbor district, with an annual production volume of 2 million tonnes, China Petroleum's planned second 1-million-tonne ethylene investment in Kaohsiung, and the plan to set up a petroleum technology park and plants in Yunlin.

Almost 98 percent of Taiwan's energy is imported. Given the high levels of greenhouse gas emissions and the high cost of cutting these emissions, the Environmental Protection Administration estimates that if carbon dioxide emissions in the energy sector are to be cut to 10 tonnes per capita by 2020, the marginal cost of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 1 tonne will be US$400 per person, or about ten times the cost in other industries (using US examples). The marginal cost to cut carbon dioxide emissions is almost the highest in the world, and that has a serious impact on industrial competitiveness.

As a reaction to the impact the Kyoto Protocol has on Taiwanese industry, the government should call a national meeting on sustainable development as soon as possible. The meeting should review national energy and industrial policy; develop industries with a high production value and low energy consumption; discuss improving energy efficiency and develop related energy technology; discuss concrete strategies to implement mass transportation systems and cut down on transportation by private car; stop highway development plans, including the highway from Suao to Hualien; and develop industries using renewable energy.

From a legal perspective, the legislature should pass renewable energy legislation, a power industry law and a non-nuclear homeland law in order to facilitate the development of renewable energy in Taiwan.

In order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the government should promote the use of renewable energy and develop wind, solar and biomass power, divert peak-time electricity consumption and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. It should also implement a new billing system to give those who use renewable energy a reduced price, and incorporate the increasingly mature solar-photonic technology.

If this is done, by 2010 it will be possible for Taiwan to provide 10 percent of its total power consumption needs by means of renewable energy sources that do not create greenhouse gases.

When it comes to waste recycling and reutilization, the government should review its incinerator policies and actively promote strategies to reduce waste of recyclable resources. Currently, there are 21 large incinerators in Taiwan, and almost all of them operate 24 hours a day, which has become a major source of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

Therefore, the government should put theory into practice by reinforcing diversified reutilization of organic waste and setting up manure composting plants and biomass energy facilities. The government should also improve the public transportation system and promote eco-friendly means of personal transportation, such as electric motorcycles and bicycles.

In metropolitan areas with a high population density, the efficiency of public transportation should be evaluated and the public should be encouraged to make use of such facilities in order to slow the increase in personal cars and motorcycles, and cut down on urban air pollution and the greenhouse effect.

Although the GDP increased by 5.3 percent last year, this figure does not represent real benefits to Taiwanese. According to estimates of Taiwan's "green" Gross National Product published by the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, the depletion of natural resources and deteriorating environmental quality have in recent years created annual losses amounting to about NT$120 billion (US$3.5 billion).

In other words, inappropriate industrial development and environmental management failures have already caused a severe environmental catastrophe. As the Kyoto Protocol is about to come into effect, governmental bodies should boldly face facts and improve response mechanisms, and the premier should convene and establish an interdepartmental task force.

We should not develop nuclear power to escape the problem of carbon dioxide emissions. Even though carbon dioxide emissions are lower at nuclear power plants, the extraction and refinement of uranium and nuclear waste management extracts a higher cost than carbon dioxide emissions. This point is often omitted or ignored. Using nuclear power to avoid the problem of greenhouse gases is practically the same as quenching a thirst with poison.

Ignore Powell: Taiwan a state

By Vincent Wang

In response to the article "Poor word choice or a policy shift?" (Oct. 27, page 8): US Secretary of State Colin Powell's remarks that "Taiwan does not enjoy sovereignty as a nation" confuses a policy expedient ("one China") with reality.

The Republic of China (ROC)meets the four criteria for statehood as defined by the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States: one, a permanent population; two, a defined territory; three, government; and four, capacity to enter into relations with other states. The Convention says, "The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by other states" and "Recognition is unconditional and irrevocable." Just because the US doesn't recognize President Fidel Castro's Cuba doesn't mean Cuba is not a state. The US transfer of recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 did not cause the ROC to cease to be a state.

Powell's expectation that Beijing and Taipei will move toward a "peaceful unification" violates the decades-old nuanced US policy of peaceful resolution of differences between Taiwan and China, while not prejudicing any final outcome.

Pan-blues ready with the oil

By Chen Ming-Chung

Two Chinese phrases describe the Ishihara incident and the pan-blue camp's reaction quite vividly. One is " good friends bring charcoal on a snowy day." The other is "foes pull oil onto a house fire" (Value Ishihara's friendship, Oct. 29, page 8.)

In the context of ongoing harassment from China, pan-blue camp politicians and pro-China media don't even try to hide their intention to put oil onto Taiwan's diplomatic house fire. Taiwanese had no part in either the Sino-Japanese war or the Chinese civil war. Yet pan-blue politicians have constantly dragged the country into a hate-mongering game, and used any excuse to sabotage Taiwan's relationship with Japan.

From "Bulletgate" to "sexual harassment by President Chen Shui-bian" and now Ishihara's "special privilege," it appears that even if there's no house fire in Taiwan's diplomacy, pro-China politicians and media are ready to set one at any time.

Isihara's willingness to stand up for Taiwan is not only what a true friend would do, but also runs a considerable risk. Indeed, it may well bring him harassment from China. He has already seen that from Chinese in Taiwan, and with Chinese fans after the fateful soccer Asia Cup match between China and Japan. That makes his friendship not only rare but also treasured all the more.

I can only pray that Taiwanese voters will recognize who is friend and who foe in the upcoming legislative elections. They should recognize the source of their predicament and vote accordingly.