It's becoming a disturbing pattern: Groups and individuals bypassing the government to negotiate with Beijing on matters falling under government authority. On Wednesday, Taiwan Provincial Farmers' Association representatives met with China's Cross-Strait Economic and Trade Exchange Association (CETEA) to discuss Taiwanese fruit imports on a tariff-free basis.
This usurping of government authority is especially appalling in view of the fact that Taipei not only intends to negotiate with Beijing on the matter but has also already named the agency representing it -- the Taiwan External Trade Development Council.
Premier Frank Hsieh's (
The reasons for the compromise in appointing the council was Beijing's refusal to directly negotiate with Taipei and the pressure building within Taiwan's agricultural sector. But at the very least, the council will have government authorization to conduct the negotiations. In view of past practice, government officials will likely attend and lead the negotiations.
This was the model used in cross-strait negotiations for chartered direct flights during the Lunar New Year holiday, and it serves as the minimum acceptable standard for Taiwan's government. However, the negotiations between the Taiwan Provincial Farmers' Association and CETEA have taken things a step further, because it is acting without authorization.
This is yet another major blow to the integrity and authority of the Chen administration.
This would never happen on the Beijing side. CETEA is an organization established last year by China's Ministry of Commerce for the specific purpose of conducting cross-strait negotiations on economic and trade issues. Although CETEA claims to be a private group, it is in reality a "white glove" of the Chinese government, meaning that it is no different from any other official agency and acts strictly according to instructions from Beijing. The "honorary chairman" of the organization is Vice Commerce Minister An Min (安民), and other government officials hold important positions in the organization.
Making matters even worse is the fact that the subject to be negotiated impinges on government power. How can anyone not argue that fruit exports to China and tariff-free treatment are topics for the government to handle? If the Taiwan Provincial Farmers' Association argues that it is acting entirely in a private capacity, one must then ask how it can obtain authorization from all its members and Taiwan's fruit farmers to negotiate on their behalf.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) set a corrosive example when he went to China and isolated the government from cross-strait negotiations. The Taiwan Provincial Farmers' Association is simply following in his footsteps.
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