President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) pledged to boost the nation’s economy in his New Year’s Day address yesterday, while seeking public support for his administration’s economic liberalization policy.
“I am fully aware that everyone is concerned about the economy. On the first day of the year, I promise every Taiwanese that the government is determined to make [improving] the economy the foremost priority, and to make this year a breakthrough year for the economy,” he said.
Ma said his administration would focus on public investment, venture investment, and large-scale land revitalization and urban renewal, as well as on the establishment of free economic pilot zones.
Photo: CNA
He acknowledged that the nation has fallen behind many other countries in economic performance in recent years and stressed the need to take part in regional economic integration.
“We must actively engage in regional economic integration, as Taiwan is an island with few natural resources and a relatively small economy. Taiwan had signed very few free-trade agreements (FTA) in the past. How can we not be in a hurry to catch up?” he said.
Ma said he would supervise an international economic and trade strategy task force, and prioritize efforts to facilitate cross-strait service and goods trade agreements.
The task force would present proposals to facilitate the nation’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), he said.
“To maintain economic growth, we must participate in regional economic integration. There’s no free ticket to integration, and we should be cautious and prepared. At the same time, we should not lose confidence or fear competition,” he added.
The FTAs Taiwan signed with trade partners during the former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government only resulted in US$0.14 in tariff exemptions and reductions for every US$100 in trade, Ma said.
However, the figure increased to US$9.65 last year, thanks to the signing of trade agreements with New Zealand and Singapore, he said.
Reviving the nation’s economy has been a recurrent theme in Ma’s major addresses to the nation.
In yesterday’s address, he reiterated the need for cross-strait development, while calling for cooperation between the government and the opposition camp for the sake of the nation.
He said that the stalled review of the cross-strait service trade agreement in the legislature has caused concern among major trade partners about the nation’s determination to open up its market, adding that the economy would remain sluggish if South Korea and Japan signed free-trade agreements with China before the cross-strait trade pact is approved.
“I urge all political parties to support the government’s efforts and approve the pact, which will benefit the nation’s economy,” he said.
The DPP yesterday said Ma’s pledge of an economic breakthrough is a cliche.
“Ma has promised a better economy so many times now that people have lost count. He has never delivered on his promise and we wonder how many people still buy his slogan,” DPP spokesperson Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said.
“Ma’s most important task is to work hard and deliver his campaign pledge so Taiwanese can enjoy better lives and a stronger economy, not to utter empty slogans,” former DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said separately.
Meanwhile, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) New Year statement, in which he said he has “six wishes” regarding Beijing’s goal for Taiwan affairs and that China’s policy on Taiwan remains guided by the principle of “peaceful unification and one country, two systems,” the DPP stated its new year wishes in response.
“We hope that people across the Taiwan Strait will be able to enjoy better lives and freedom, and that the governments on both sides show more sympathy toward their people. We also hope the people of Taiwan will be free from [China’s] military threats and oppression of their effort to participate in international affairs. And we hope China will respect Taiwanese aspirations,” DPP Policy Research Committee executive director Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said.
CREDIT-GRABBER: China said its coast guard rescued the crew of a fishing vessel that caught fire, who were actually rescued by a nearby Taiwanese boat and the CGA Maritime search and rescue operations do not have borders, and China should not use a shipwreck to infringe upon Taiwanese sovereignty, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said yesterday. The coast guard made the statement in response to the China Coast Guard (CCG) saying it saved a Taiwanese fishing boat. The Chuan Yu No. 6 (全漁6號), a fishing vessel registered in Keelung, on Thursday caught fire and sank in waters northeast of Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台). The vessel left Keelung’s Badouzih Fishing Harbor (八斗子漁港) at 3:35pm on Sunday last week, with seven people on board — a 62-year-old Taiwanese captain surnamed Chang (張) and six
RISKY BUSINESS: The ‘incentives’ include initiatives that get suspended for no reason, creating uncertainty and resulting in considerable losses for Taiwanese, the MAC said China’s “incentives” failed to sway sentiment in Taiwan, as willingness to work in China hit a record low of 1.6 percent, a Ministry of Labor survey showed. The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) also reported that the number of Taiwanese workers in China has nearly halved from a peak of 430,000 in 2012 to an estimated 231,000 in 2024. That marked a new low in the proportion of Taiwanese going abroad to work. The ministry’s annual survey on “Labor Life and Employment Status” includes questions respondents’ willingness to seek employment overseas. Willingness to work in China has steadily declined from
The number of pet cats in Taiwan surpassed that of pet dogs for the first time last year, reaching 1,742,033, a 32.8 percent increase from 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday, citing a survey. By contrast, the number of pet dogs declined slightly by 1.2 percent over the same period to 1,462,528, the ministry said. Despite the shift, households with dogs still slightly outnumber those with cats by 1.2 percent. However, while the number of households with multiple dogs has remained relatively stable, households keeping more than two cats have increased, contributing to the overall rise in the feline population. The trend
LEVERAGE: China did not ‘need to fire a shot’ to deny Taiwan airspace over Africa when it owns ‘half the continent’s debt,’ a US official said, calling it economic warfare The EU has raised concerns about overflight rights following the delay of President William Lai’s (賴清德) planned state visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini after three African nations denied overflight clearance for his charter at the last minute. Taiwanese allies Paraguay and Saint Kitts and Nevis, as well as several US lawmakers and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) condemned China for allegedly pressuring the countries. Lai was scheduled to fly directly to Taiwan’s only African ally from yesterday to Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and his 58th birthday, but Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar suddenly revoked
RSS