Taiwan Advocates is scheduled to hold a conference on national economic development on March 18 and 19.
During the conference, views will be gathered from businessmen and grass roots activists. The think tank, established by former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), plans to integrate their suggestions into a proposal and have it ready as a reference for the government when it finally decides to hold the nation's second economic development conference.
Taiwan Advocates secretary-general Huang Kun-huei (黃昆輝) said that Lee attached great importance to the upcoming conference and had been asking the Taiwan Advocates to prepare the conference since last October.
The "active opening, effective management" cross-strait economic policy was finalized during the first economic development conference and this policy has had a significant influence on local industry over the past five years, Huang said.
"Taiwanese businesspeople have invested at least US$250 billion over the past five years, and more than 70 percent of Taiwan's core industries now manufacture goods overseas," Huang said. "As a result, Taiwan has faced the combined crises of high unemployment, unbalanced incomes and unstable society."
Since the first economic development conference had such a huge impact and President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has declared that the second one is even more important, Taiwan Advocates think it is important to gather views from the public and voices from small and medium business. This will help them reach a consensus that can serve as a reference for the government.
Echoing Chen's "active management, effective opening" approach to cross-strait trade relations, Huang said that Taiwan Advocates stands for "management rather than restriction" and a "globalization rather than Sinicization" approach.
Taiwan Advocates will hold the conference at the Grand Hotel in Taipei and Lee will give the keynote speech at both the opening and closing ceremonies.
In addition, local forums will be held on the first two weekends of March in Taipei County, Taichung City, Yunlin County and Kaohsiung City before the conference in order to collect ideas from the public and experts, Huang said.
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