In order to maintain economic competitiveness, the Cabinet should push the Legislative Yuan to pass the "national technology protection law" (國家科技保護法) this session, Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) caucus convenor Lo Chih-ming (羅志明) said yesterday.
TSU lawmakers told a press conference yesterday that the party strongly opposes the transfer of high-tech industries to China.
"We oppose the Ministry of Economic Affairs' [MOEA] proposal to allow industries involved in 8-inch wafer fabrication, display panel technology, packaging technology and naphtha cracking to move to China. The transfer of these industries will compromise Taiwan's economic competitiveness," Lo said.
He urged the Cabinet to make the technology protection law a top priority and urged the legislature to pass it as soon as possible.
Lo said that one big issue the nation must deal with is that the government only regulates certain high-tech fields and not high-tech personnel.
The TSU has been critical of government policy since prosecutors launched an investigation last week into the relationship between United Microelectronics Corp, the world's No. 2 custom chipmaker, and Chinese semiconductor firm He Jian Technology (Suzhou) Co.
High-ranking National Science Council officials stressed last week that the Taiwanese people should be confident about Taiwan's competitiveness. They said that the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park remains the driving force behind the national economy.
Last week, the park's administration announced that the park's annual sales reached a record high of NT$185.9 billion (US$5.9 billion) last year, demonstrating the park's competitiveness.
Lo also said yesterday that the TSU has collected evidence that display component maker Novatek Microelectronics Corp, which receives NT$3 billion in financial support annually from the MOEA, actually manufactures its products in China.
Lo said that the government can do nothing to rectify the situation because there are no laws to prohibit such financing.
"Giving out such financial subsidies humiliates the nation. It looks like both the government and the people are giving money to local industries, which in turn help China make profits," Lo said.
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