A number of pro-localization academics on Saturday expressed opposition to China’s proposal to sign a cross-strait Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), claiming that it could jeopardize Taiwan’s sovereignty and interests.
The academics made the comments at a forum held by the Northern Taiwan Society to discuss issues related to a proposal raised earlier in the month by a Chinese economic official. The proposal said Taiwan and China should sign a pact similar to the CEPAs between China and Hong Kong and between China and Macau, so as to accelerate bilateral economic exchanges.
They also criticized Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤), chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation for his remarks that as long as Taiwan and China can reach reciprocal economic cooperation on an equal footing, the name of any such future economic agreement is relatively unimportant.
Tsai Ting-kuei (蔡丁貴), chairman of the Taiwan Association of University Professors, argued that should Taiwan sign a CEPA with China, it would be equivalent to acknowledging that Taiwan is part of China and could lead to “a sellout of Taiwan’s sovereignty,” because under the CEPA framework, Hong Kong and Macau are defined as “separate customs territories” of China.
Tsai said that pro-independence groups from around the nation should form a joint front and meet regularly in an effort to safeguard Taiwan’s sovereignty “before it is too late.”
Meanwhile, at a separate forum yesterday, Wang To-far (王塗發), a professor of economics at the National Taipei University, warned that President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) China-leaning policies may lead to future disasters for Taiwan.
Wang criticized Ma’s policy to develop closer economic ties with China as “economic suicide.”
“Since May 20 [when Ma was inaugurated as president], he has allowed companies to set up plants in China to manufacture 12-inch wafers, lifted the 40 percent investment cap to China, allowed direct weekend cross-strait charter flights and allowed [Taiwanese] banks to open branches in China,” Wang told the forum.
“All these polices are not only ineffective in boosting Taiwan’s economy, rather, they help to accelerate the flow of cash and investment into China.”
“China is now facing the stiffest decline in its stock market and the Chinese economy is challenged by a post-Olympic crisis,” he said. “Is it really such a good idea to build closer economic ties with China at the moment?”
Claming the government is ineffective at defending Taiwan’s sovereignty, retired history professor from National Taiwan University Cheng Chin-jen (鄭欽仁), urged Taiwanese people to be more active in making their own voices heard.
Yesterday’s forum was organized by Taiwan Hear, an organization founded by former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮). Lu originally planned to make an appearance at the forum, but she canceled citing stomach problems.
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