A local farmers' group was at the center of a political storm yesterday after a local newspaper reported that the group will visit China next week to negotiate with Chinese authorities over Taiwanese fruit exports to the country.
Legislator Lai Ching-te (
Noting that the Executive Yuan has authorized the Taiwan External Trade Development Council to talk with Chinese authorities on Taiwanese fruit exports, Lai said the association should abide by the government's decision and "not play into Beijing's hands" by dealing on its own with China.
Lai dismissed China's policy of allowing the import of 15 kinds of Taiwan fruits duty-free as "an attempt to alienate fruit farmers from the government," blaming the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) for cajoling the farmers' association into contacting China.
He claimed that the KMT, whose chairman Lien Chan (連戰) won the import concessions when he met with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) during his Chinese tour in April, is pulling strings behind the scenes, adding that the president of the farmers' association, Liu Chuan-chung (劉銓忠), is a KMT lawmaker.
By accepting Beijing's invitation to engage in talks, Lai claimed, the farmers' association is allowing Beijing to manipulate Taiwan, which he said is dangerous for the country.
Ho Min-hao (
In light of the fact that Taiwan is an independent state, Ho said, negotiations on exports of Taiwan agricultural products to China should be held bilaterally under the framework of the WTO, adding that the farmers' association's contact with Chinese authorities will help Beijing's ploy of sidestepping the government.
Meanwhile, KMT Legislator Tseng Yung-chuan (
Tseng, who is the director of the KMT Policy Coordination Committee, said the DPP government should give free rein to the farmers' association within the law to explore overseas markets for the benefit of local farmers.
An official from the farmers' association said his group won't encroach on the power of the government during its pending talks with China, adding that the government really has little role in the deal and can hardly prevent Taiwanese fruit from entering the Chinese market as long as China allows the imports.
The official, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that Taiwan exported 13,500 tonnes of fruit to China, Hong Kong and Macau last year, accounting for 6 percent of Taiwan's fruit exports.
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