TSU lawmakers questioned the feasibility of the agreement signed between China and Taiwan to transport nuclear waste from Orchid Island to a disposal site in China's Guangdong province.
The lawmakers called the proposal "unreliable and unfeasible" and cautioned the government to think twice before taking action so as to avoid becoming the victim of a scam.
They added that, if the government doesn't handle the matter properly, Taiwan's international reputation may be harmed.
Reports said yesterday that a contract was signed at the end of April between privately owned Taiwan Technical Consultants Inc (台灣技術服務社) and China's Ministry of Nuclear Industry.
According to the contract, the Chinese ministry has promised to remove 98,000 barrels of low-grade nuclear waste -- each of which weighs 208kg, from Orchid Island and to dispose of it in Renhua County, Guangdong Province. The operation was estimated to take 45 days, and the fee to handle the material was set at US$18 per kilogram.
The contract states that the deal is aimed at promoting cross-strait exchanges, and to foster friendship between the two sides.
TSU lawmakers Huang Chung-yuan (黃宗源) and Chien Lin Whei-jun (錢林慧君) said that Taiwan may later become the target of protest actions by Chinese residents -- when they become more environmentally aware as their economy improves. Taiwan may then become the target of international scorn, they said.
"As a developing country, China's biggest concern at this stage is money. They will do anything to make money to finance the nation's progress," said Chien Lin.
"But in a few years their residents might say Taiwan lured China with money to turn Chinese soil into a dump for Taiwan's nuclear waste."
If that happens, it will be an international fiasco and Taiwan's reputation will be hurt, she said.
The lawmakers also questioned the motive of the proposal.
They said that it is illogical for China to initiate the project as an ice-breaker for the frozen state of cross-strait relations.
"It's hard not to think that China has some other intentions," Chien Lin said.
It also needs to be clarified whether the Chinese signatories have the authority to make the decision for the Chinese government.
According to the report, the Chinese side is represented by the chairman and general manager of "Institute No. 745" of the Chinese Ministry of Nuclear Industry.
The TSU lawmakers cautioned that the Chinese government may later refuse to honor the agreement and use the excuse that the signatories were not qualified to make the decision -- or China could claim that the officials had colluded with businessmen to reach the agreement.
"Taiwan may lose a lot of money, and China may ask us to take the nuclear waste back home. It would be a big loss for Taiwan if that happens," Chien Lin said.
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