The government's planned lifting of a ban on domestic chipmakers setting up eight-inch wafer foundries in China has strained ties between the ruling DPP and the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU).
In the latest effort to delay the policy turnabout, which the TSU insists will neutralize Taiwan's technological edge, the fledgling party is organizing a demonstration on March 22 outside the legislature.
On Tuesday, the party's legislative caucus called on Vice Premier Lin Hsin-yi (
"What the TSU seeks to uphold is the collective welfare of the 23 million people in Taiwan, not the DPP's reign," TSU legislative leader Lo Chih-ming (
Since its founding last August, the TSU has said it aims to help President Chen Shui-bian's (
The party has consistently given all its 13 votes to the DPP during crucial votes such as the election for the vice legislative speaker on Feb. 1 and on the Cabinet request to void revisions to funding rules two weeks later.
In return, the president added former TSU spokesman Shu Chin-chiang (
And Premier Yu Shyi-kun recently named Huang Hwei-chen (
Lee has openly spoken out against the abandonment of his "no haste, be patient" policy to regulate cross-strait trade, fearing that the country will become overly dependent on China economically.
But Chen, apparently bowing to pressure from the business community, has embraced a more liberal approach under the principle of "active opening, effective management."
Seeking to avoid further alienating the TSU, the DPP has painted the ally's criticisms as good-intentioned.
"The TSU's grievances are understandable," DPP legislative caucus leader Ker Chien-ming (
However, Ker pointed out that with or without legal obstacles, the government cannot hold back the trend of capital flight, noting that many Taiwan investors have made their way to China via a third party in the last decade. Under eased control, he argued, the government may better monitor cross-strait commerce and draw up policies to facilitate the return of profits gained.
To expand the party's voter base, the DPP has shown a steady drift towards the political center over the years, to the chagrin of traditional supporters who advocate severance of cross-strait entanglement.
Pro-independence groups at home and abroad, for instance, who were once staunch supporters of the DPP have aligned themselves with Lee and the TSU in the last year.
Four-term DPP lawmaker Yen Ching-fu (
"The TSU must have misunderstood the vice premier as the entrepreneur-turned-politician has commanded widespread respect for his performance," Yen said.
During the power transition, Chen once commented that if Lin were a female, he would have picked him as his vice-presidential candidate. Similarly, Premier Yu said he trusted his deputy's professional competence.
But the TSU says it is mulling mounting a no-confidence vote against Lin if he fails to come up with a judicious set of regulations to oversee cross-strait trade. Lin, who concurrently heads the Council of Economic Planning and Development, is an architect of the opening policy.
Hsu Den-koun (許登宮), another TSU legislative whip, said emphatically it is impossible for his party to back down on the issue.
"It is more important for the party to safeguard the interests of Taiwan than keep the partnership with the DPP," Hsu said. "The TSU is not a subsidiary of another political part after all."
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