|
Wen Jiabao a ‘liar,’ ECFA a tool: DPP
CROSS-STRAIT COMMENTS: DPP legislators were quick to
chastize the Chinese premier for remarks he made in a speech in Beijing on
Sunday and to question his sincerity
By Vincent Y. Chao
STAFF REPORTER
Tuesday, Mar 16, 2010, Page 1
“What Beijing is doing is destroying Taiwan’s international space and pushing
it [to accept] the ECFA proposal.”— William Lai, Democratic Progressive Party
legislator
The proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) between Taiwan and
China would pave the way for eventual unification, Democratic Progressive Party
(DPP) legislators said yesterday, adding that the agreement would be “more
political than economic.”
The comments followed Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s (溫家寶) speech to the National
People’s Congress on Sunday, in which he attempted to calm fears that the
controversial pact would flood Taiwan with cheap Chinese imports and cost
thousands of farmers and workers their jobs.
Wen said China would “let the people of Taiwan benefit” from tariff concessions
and early harvest programs, adding that “relevant arrangements” in the trade
pact would help reassure Taiwanese farmers.
However, DPP lawmakers questioned Wen’s sincerity and said it was unlikely that
Taiwan would be able to reap any benefits from the trade pact, either
economically or politically.
DPP Legislator William Lai (賴清德) called Wen’s comments lies.
“If one of the main principles of the trade pact is for both parties to be
treated as equals, how does saying this even make sense?” he said.
“This shows that his comments are basically a smokescreen for [China’s]
unification goal,” Lai said.
“Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang [施顏祥] has been more honest, saying
that if China gives Taiwan benefits including tariff concessions, it would only
be a matter of time before it asks for the same in return,” DPP Legislator Yeh
Yi-jin (葉宜津) said.
Government officials maintain that signing the pact would open the way for
Taiwan to sign free-trade agreements (FTAs) with other countries and increase
the nation’s economic competitiveness.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said on Sunday that Taiwan risked becoming an
“international orphan,” adding that the absence of FTAs with major economies was
contributing to the nation’s economic isolation.
However, Lai said the main reason the nation did not manage to sign FTAs with
other major economies was China, which has repeatedly blocked other countries
from signing agreements with Taiwan.
“Who is causing Taiwan’s current problems in international relations?” Lai
asked. “It is all the result of China’s actions. What Beijing is doing is
destroying Taiwan’s international space and pushing it [to accept] the ECFA
proposal.”
Meanwhile, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus praised Wen, saying his
remarks showed that China “completely” understood the feelings of Taiwanese
farmers.
KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Hung-chih (林鴻池) told a press conference at the
legislature that the government promised not to open the local market to more
Chinese produce if an ECFA was inked.
Lin said the KMT caucus would carry out its gatekeeping duties once the ECFA was
signed, adding that Taiwan could lose its competitive edge if it failed to sign
the pact.
|
