President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on Thursday reiterated his opposition to a referendum on the government’s planned economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China, saying it was not necessary because no political items would be included in the proposed agreement.
Ma made the remarks at a press conference in Belize for Taiwanese reporters when he was asked to comment on the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) push for a referendum on the proposed ECFA.
The DPP has argued that an ECFA would tilt Taiwan too far toward China.
PHOTO: CNA
“An ECFA with China will do more good to Taiwan than harm,” Ma said.
The signing of an ECFA with China was urgently needed for Taiwan because a free-trade agreement between China and ASEAN will take effect next year, further marginalizing Taiwan and crippling its trade-dependent economy, the president said.
Taiwan cannot afford to ignore that China is its biggest trading partner and the third-largest economic entity in the world, he said, reiterating that the government would push to sign an ECFA this year or next year.
Only issues of greater importance, such as those involving Taiwan’s sovereignty, need to be put to a referendum, he said.
“There won’t be any political items, such as ‘one nation, two systems,’ in the ECFA,” he said.
Stressing that the proposed ECFA was an economic agreement, Ma said holding referendums is time-consuming and expensive, and it would be difficult for the government to operate if it had to hold a referendum on every major policy issue.
“It would be meaningless if referendums were held too often and on less important issues,” the president said.
Ma defended his cross-strait and “flexible diplomacy” policies, saying that Taiwan’s diplomatic breakthrough should begin with peaceful relations with China, and that the improvement of cross-strait relations under his administration would help Taiwan engage in diplomatic relations with other countries.
“We should turn Taiwan from a troublemaker into a peacemaker through reconciliation across the Taiwan Strait,” Ma said.
“Now that cross-strait relations have improved, countries that have developed friendly relations with us can breathe a sigh of relief,” he said.
All foreign aid programs must be carried out in an “appropriate, legitimate and effective” manner, and “honest and decent” diplomacy will earn the respect of the international community, he said.
In Taipei, acting DPP spokesman Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) yesterday accused the government of having double standards on referendums.
“Why did the government agree to a referendum on legalizing casinos in Penghu, yet opposed a referendum for an issue relating to national interests such as on the ECFA?” Chao said.
“President Ma should not deprive the public of the right to decide on the ECFA,” Chao said.
The spokesman also said the DPP will soon release its proposal for an ECFA referendum. The party hopes to collect 80,000 signatures to reach the first benchmark needed for a proposed national referendum, he said.
The Referendum Act (公投法) stipulates that the signatures of 0.5 percent of eligible voters — approximately 80,000 — must be collected to apply to hold a referendum.
In the second application stage, 5 percent of eligible voters — approximately 800,000 — must sign the petition before the proposed referendum can be screened by the Referendum Review Committee
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY RICH CHANG
MISINFORMATION: The generated content tends to adopt China’s official stance, such as ‘Taiwan is currently governed by the Chinese central government,’ the NSB said Five China-developed artificial intelligence (AI) language models exhibit cybersecurity risks and content biases, an inspection conducted by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The five AI tools are: DeepSeek, Doubao (豆包), Yiyan (文心一言), Tongyi (通義千問) and Yuanbao (騰訊元寶), the bureau said, advising people to remain vigilant to protect personal data privacy and corporate business secrets. The NSB said it, in accordance with the National Intelligence Services Act (國家情報工作法), has reviewed international cybersecurity reports and intelligence, and coordinated with the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau and the National Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Bureau to conduct an inspection of China-made AI language
BOOST IN CONFIDENCE: The sale sends a clear message of support for Taiwan and dispels rumors that US President Donald Trump ‘sold out’ the nation, an expert said The US government on Thursday announced a possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet parts, which was estimated to cost about US$330 million, in a move that an expert said “sends a clear message of support for Taiwan” amid fears that Washington might be wavering in its attitude toward Taipei. It was the first announcement of an arms sale to Taiwan since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. The proposed package includes non-standard components, spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, as well repair and return support for the F-16, C-130 and Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft,
CHECKING BOUNDARIES: China wants to disrupt solidarity among democracies and test their red lines, but it is instead pushing nations to become more united, an expert said The US Department of State on Friday expressed deep concern over a Chinese public security agency’s investigation into Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) for “secession.” “China’s actions threaten free speech and erode norms that have underpinned the cross-strait ‘status quo’ for decades,” a US Department of State spokesperson said. The Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau late last month listed Shen as “wanted” and launched an investigation into alleged “secession-related” criminal activities, including his founding of the Kuma Academy, a civil defense organization that prepares people for an invasion by China. The spokesperson said that the US was “deeply concerned” about the bureau investigating Shen
‘TROUBLEMAKER’: Most countries believe that it is China — rather than Taiwan — that is undermining regional peace and stability with its coercive tactics, the president said China should restrain itself and refrain from being a troublemaker that sabotages peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks after China Coast Guard vessels sailed into disputed waters off the Senkaku Islands — known as the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) in Taiwan — following a remark Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made regarding Taiwan. Takaichi during a parliamentary session on Nov. 7 said that a “Taiwan contingency” involving a Chinese naval blockade could qualify as a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, and trigger Tokyo’s deployment of its military for defense. Asked about the escalating tensions
RSS