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Leamer urges Taiwan push for free-trade pacts

US economist Edward Leamer said yesterday that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should put aside their political ideologies and let economics serve as the catalyst to achieve peace.

Leamer made the remarks at a symposium held at the National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences on the potential relationship between Taiwan and an Asian free-trade areas.

A fellow of the US Econometric Society and American Academy of Arts and Science, Leamer was in Taiwan for a six-day visit for aca-demic research. He assisted former US president Bill Clinton in planning the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and has produced significant research in regional economic integration.

University president Lin Ren-yih (林仁益) said Leamer was invited to offer his experience in planning NAFTA for use by Taiwan in promoting an Asian free-trade area and in resolving the problems resulting from the nation's entry into the WTO along with China.

Leamer noted that Taiwan is on its way to a post-industrialized era based on computer networking and advanced knowledge. Therefore, superior services in the fields of finance, e-commerce and audio and video entertainment will be the future economic mainstream for the nation, he said.

To make the transition process smooth, Leamer suggested the government develop a free-trade area, increase economic, trade and cultural exchanges with other countries and improve its education system.

He said regional economic integration is a global trend and Taipei's participation in a free-trade area is not only viable, but necessary.
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