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Dangers of
cross-strait cooperation to farming
By Lin Cho-shui ªL¿B¤ô
As of June, China had set up 25 ¡§Taiwanese farmers¡¦ enterprise parks¡¨ in 12 of
its provinces and municipalities. The Legislative Yuan¡¦s Budget Center says that
this trend is now causing grave worries about an outflow of agricultural talent
and technology from Taiwan, and it says that the likelihood of Chinese farm
produce being sold back to Taiwan has greatly increased.
In fact, many techniques associated with farm produce varieties on which Taiwan
prides itself, such as orchids, golden diamond pineapples and golden mangoes,
have already leaked out.
In the case of oolong tea, the varieties themselves, along with the full set of
associated manufacturing techniques, have been completely transplanted to China.
The consequences of such actions are more far--reaching than tea being sold back
to Taiwan. Export competition from China has greatly increased and China has
taken over Taiwan¡¦s position in the world market.
In 1992, Taiwan and China accounted for equal portions of Japan¡¦s imports of
agricultural products at about 7 percent each, but by 2009 China¡¦s share had
risen to 12.44 percent, while Taiwan¡¦s fell to just 1.18 percent.
Unfortunately, these ¡§Taiwanese farmers¡¦ enterprise parks¡¨ stem from a
communique, signed by Chinese President and Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
General--Secretary Hu Jintao (JÀAÀÜ) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman
Lien Chan (³s¾Ô) on April 29, 2005, calling for ¡§carrying out agricultural and
fishery cooperation [and] resolving the problem of selling Taiwanese
agricultural products on the mainland.¡¨
At the annual Boao Forum for Asia conference on Oct. 17 of the same year, the
KMT and CCP went a step further by holding a forum on cross-strait agricultural
cooperation, at which they arrived at the following common understandings.
First, to complete the construction of agricultural cooperative experimental
zones and Taiwanese farmers¡¦ enterprise parks. Second, to encourage and support
agricultural cooperation and disseminate know-how, and to broaden the scope of
cooperation. Third, to facilitate trade in agricultural products and sales of
products made by Taiwan-invested agricultural enterprises in China. Fourth, to
protect Taiwanese agricultural products and intellectual property rights, so as
to uphold the legitimate rights of Taiwanese farmers.
A careful look at these four points clearly reveals the strategy of the KMT and
CCP, which was to send Taiwanese technical talent and capital to China, while
Beijing compensates Taiwanese farmers by buying more agricultural products in
exchange. In other words, the expectation that Taiwan would swap its
golden-egg-laying hen for plain old chicken¡¦s eggs from China.
The KMT would like people to think that it is trying to give poor, hard-working
Taiwanese farmers a ¡§second springtime.¡¨ In reality, however, this trend, headed
as it is by a number of retired Council of Agriculture officials, has only
brought a ¡§second springtime¡¨ to a few rich farmers, farmers¡¦ association
officers, merchants, former council officials and agricultural experts. These
people have headed off to China one after another to invest or work as advisers.
They have replicated Taiwan¡¦s agricultural experience, adopted its excellent
varieties and applied its advanced techniques and business management models in
China.
The Budget Center warns that, as the cross-strait gap in agricultural technology
narrows, Taiwanese agriculture will be displaced and could even be wiped out.
Considering the policies the KMT agreed upon with the CCP, farming in Taiwan is
sure to continue along this path to destruction if the party stays in power.
Lin Cho-shui is a former Democratic Progressive Party legislator.
Translated by Julian Clegg
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