The key to avoiding Taiwan from being marginalized is to engage with China, People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) said yesterday.
Speaking at the Perdanam Global Peace Forum in Malaysia, Soong said that as new economic and political blocs in Asia take shape with China playing increasingly important roles, the only option for Taiwan to avoid being relegated to the sidelines is to improve cross-strait relations.
Taiwan, which has in the past maintained closed economic and trade ties with member states of the ASEAN, particularly Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, is finding it has fewer bargain chips in its maneuvering space in the region after China's rise and the growth of Chinese influence, Soong said.
During previous APEC meetings, many Asian countries sought bilateral consultations with Taiwan for closer economic and trade ties, but now these countries have turned to China, he said.
Given that much has changed over the past two years, Soong said, China has become the world's factory and the world's market and has attracted many Asian countries because of its economy.
Malaysia's two-way trade with Taiwan used to be larger than that with China, but now it is trading with China in volumes much bigger than those with Taiwan, he said, which is a worrisome situation for Taiwan.
Taiwan will face more serious problems once the "ASEAN plus China, Japan and South Korea" become reality, Soong said.
Taiwan's competitiveness will automatically slide since its exports to the "ASEAN plus three" members will be much more expensive with tariffs, the PFP chairman said.
Soong said Taiwan's government should seek to be on better terms with Beijing's leaders, who told him during avisit earlier this year that as long as Taiwan does not seek de jure independence, China would allow Taiwan to enjoy "a certain extent of maneuvering space" in the international community.
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