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Economic zone may
open door to China: lawmaker
IN THE BACK DOOR: The legislator said firms and
workers from China could swarm Taiwan due to the financial perks of the zone,
hurting local industries
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
A free economic zone which the government said would be established to
facilitate participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) could serve as a
¡§backdoor¡¨ for Beijing that may harm Taiwan¡¦s economy, a lawmaker said
yesterday.
¡§The zone could be flooded by Chinese white-collar workers, investment and
products if the current design of the Council for Economic and Planning
Development¡¦s (CEPD) plan is adopted,¡¨ Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) lawmaker
Hsu Chung-hsin (³\©¾«H) told a press conference.
The council plans to liberalize the flow of personnel, goods and cash in the
zone, where foreign businesses would enjoy WTO-plus treatment and Chinese
businesses would enjoy WTO treatment, making them more competitive because of
reduced costs, Hsu said.
That could bring in more Chinese white-collar workers and their families, who
would be allowed to stay in Taiwan indefinitely, he said.
Chinese white-collar employees who work for foreign businesses in Taiwan are
currently allowed a maximum stay of one year, he said, adding that more than
180,000 Chinese white-collar workers entered the country last year and the
number could rise dramatically under the new CEPD policy.
The council¡¦s plan to lower the minimum monthly wage for foreign professionals
from the current NT$47,971 (US$1,650) level could squeeze job opportunities for
Taiwanese white-collar workers, Hsu added.
Because Chinese businesses would enjoy WTO treatment in the demonstration zone,
Chinese service sectors, such as logistics, storage and transport services,
could make their way into the country, he said.
If Chinese workers and service industries made Taiwan their permanent home, it
would make life difficult for local workers and companies, Hsu said.
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