Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) said on Friday that Taiwan needed to sign a trade pact with China, but added that the government would not open its doors too wide to China.
Making his case in Taiwanese at a forum on a proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Siew said that when the global economy was in crisis, Taiwan felt its impact. Given that these crises occur about every 10 years, Taiwan must find ways to cope with these challenges, he said.
In dealing with the crisis, Taiwan has many challenges to overcome: its national competitiveness must be enhanced, it must actively innovate domestically, and it needs markets abroad.
Furthermore, as Asian economies continue to integrate, Taiwan cannot be left on the outside, Siew said.
“Taiwan needs to sign an ECFA with China. Otherwise, it will be marginalized,” he said.
If Taiwan signs an ECFA with China, investment and employment opportunities will increase, and exports will grow, he said.
“This is a crucial moment for the nation, and we must seize the opportunity,” he added.
He said Taiwan would not open its doors too wide to China while negotiating the trade pact.
“Taiwan will start with the items it needs the most and then gradually move on to others,” Siew said, adding that “we will solicit the maximum benefit, and we hope to minimize the pressure on us in the future.”
He said that Taiwan’s goal was tariff concessions and the protection of investments and intellectual property rights.
“Taiwan will also insist on not allowing in more Chinese agricultural products or opening the door to Chinese workers,” he said.
Siew acknowledged that the ECFA would not benefit some sectors, and he said the government would try its best to exclude those sectors in the ECFA negotiations or put them off to a later date.
Meanwhile, the second round of talks on the ECFA, which Taiwan had originally hoped would take place in Taipei some time this month, are now most likely to be held at the end of the month, economic officials said.
The focus of the second round of negotiations will be the exchange of “early harvest” lists, which refer to industries and services on both sides that will be granted immediate tariff concessions or more liberal trade terms under the ECFA.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
RSS