Labor affairs chairman pushes for FTA with US

"The push for a Taiwan-US FTA requires concerted efforts of all government departments."

John Deng, Taiwan's deputy representative to the US

Taiwan's top labor affairs administrator is set to arrive in Washington today to push for the signing of a free trade agreement (FTA).

Council of Labor Affairs Chairman Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) will meet with officials of the administration of US President George W. Bush, deliver speeches to US think tanks and lobby for congressional support for the signing of an FTA during his visit, sources said.

Lee will focus his talks on labor-related topics that are a major concern for the US in gauging whether to sign an FTA with Taiwan, sources said.

Previous US State Department human rights reports have mentioned problems in Taiwan's migrant worker management, issues with welfare services and poor working conditions for wage earners.

Lee is expected to brief US officials and think tank scholars on Taiwan's labor policy and its efforts to improve welfare benefits for both native wage earners and foreign laborers.

Lee said his goal was "clarifying any misperceptions and misunderstandings."

Taiwan officials stationed in Washington said the office of the US Trade Representative had never explicitly stated that Taiwan's labor conditions were a hindrance to an FTA.

The officials also said that Taiwan's Labor Standards Law (勞動標準法) provided "lofty and adequate norms and standards" for treatment of wage earners.

"We believe that Lee's briefing on our achievements in labor rights protection will contribute to the FTA drive," an official from the Taiwan representative office in Washington said.

John Deng (鄧振中), Taiwan's deputy representative to the US who will soon depart for home to take over as Taiwan's first top international trade negotiator, said Lee's US visit was a wise move in the promotion of an FTA.

"The push for a Taiwan-US FTA requires concerted efforts of all government departments. It would be very helpful if the heads of various administrative agencies could come to the US capital for direct dialogue with their US counterparts," Deng said in an interview.

In addition to the trade and labor departments, the Environmental Protection Administration should also send delegates to Washington to communicate Taiwan's needs, he said.

Lee's itinerary indicated he would deliver a speech on Tuesday on improving Asian labor standards at the Center for National Policy, a US think tank dedicated to research and debate on issues of national interest.

He will also attend a seminar at the US Heritage Foundation, another Washington-based think tank.

Before wrapping up his trip on Thursday, Lee will brief Taiwanese journalists posted in Washington on the purposes and accomplishments of his visit.