|
Premier defends
service trade accord
ROAD TO SURVIVAL: Jiang Yi-huah accused the
media of focusing on negative news, while ignoring the positive impact that
opening up to Beijing would bring
By Stacy Hsu / Staff writer, with CNA
Police officers lead a student
away after he shouted slogans against the forced demolition of four houses in
Miaoli County¡¦s Dapu Borough, interrupting Premier Jiang Yi-huah¡¦s speech on the
cross-strait service trade agreement in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Premier Jiang Yi-huah (¦¿©y¾ì) yesterday
defended the service trade agreement with China, saying that it is a road Taiwan
must take and that those who seek to mislead the public would only scupper the
nation¡¦s chances of survival in the global market.
Jiang was speaking at a forum on the cross-strait agreement in Taipei, which was
held one day after the one-month anniversary of its signing by the Chinese
National Association of Industry and Commerce, Taiwan, at the request of the
Mainland Affairs Council.
His speech was momentarily interrupted when two college students shouted:
¡§Forced and violent demolitions, the government is a murderer¡¨ and ¡§[You] tear
down Dapu today, [We will] bring down the government tomorrow.¡¨
They were quickly taken away by security.
The students were referring to the forced demolition of four houses in Miaoli
County¡¦s Dapu Borough (¤j®H) on Thursday last week, ordered by Miaoli County
Commissioner Liu Cheng-hung (¼B¬FÂE), who insisted that the houses be torn down to
make way for a science park.
¡§The government has held a series of forums since the treaty was inked, yet some
local media have only reported news of people protesting against the agreement,
which service industries may bear the brunt of the accord and how they could be
forced out of business once Chinese investments are allowed into the country,¡¨
Jiang said.
¡§However, these media have neglected one thing ¡X the real reason behind Taiwan
endeavoring to sign trade agreements with other nations and regions,¡¨ Jiang
said.
He said that although Taiwan has scarce natural resources, it has managed to
gain a foothold in the international market, bring about economic prosperity and
achieve social stability over the past decades.
¡§These achievements are the result of the free and open road the nation has
chosen for itself. It has opened the nation¡¦s doors to foreign competitors,
stimulated industry transformation and upgrade, and facilitated the development
of a pattern of mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation,¡¨ Jiang said.
This road also led the country to the economic miracles in the 1970s and enabled
its people to look to the future with confidence, Jiang added.
He said the treaty was signed based on the aforementioned strategic orientations
for Taiwan¡¦s development, adding that the nation would never choose
protectionism and create a self-enclosed market as some have hoped for.
History has shown that the economic development of nations that adopt
protectionism is doomed to fail, and only countries and areas that open up their
economies and work to overcome difficulties, such as Japan, Taiwan and Hong
Kong, are able to create opportunities for future economic development.
Under the service trade pact, 64 Taiwanese industries will be opened to Chinese
investment, including e-commerce, transportation, finance, medical care,
nursing, theater, funeral planning, beauty parlors and online gaming, while
China will open up 80 industries to Taiwan.
Jiang said most online gaming operators he recently visited spoke highly of the
agreement.
¡§They said that because the treaty would shorten the processing time required
for Taiwan-made online games to receive a market permit in China from six months
or more to only two months, it could help prevent knock-off products from
hitting the Chinese market before they do,¡¨ Jiang said.
Jiang said Taiwan¡¦s online gaming sector has seen rapid growth in value because
it integrates the nation¡¦s most competitive information and communications
technology industry with advanced animation and audio-video technologies.
¡§With the inking of the agreement, it will now also be able map out its own
¡¥blue ocean¡¦ strategy to help it gain ground in China,¡¨ Jiang said.
|
