But it would be unnecessary to hold a referendum on issues that have nothing to do with politics, such as the CECA, Lai said.
Also on Sunday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) said that the question of whether and how Taiwan should sign a CECA with China should be open for discussion.
“Taiwan should sign the CECA on condition that its sovereignty and international status are not compromised [in the process],” Wu said.
Meanwhile, the KMT caucus yesterday voiced support for the government’s plan to sign a CECA.
At a press conference, KMT caucus secretary-general Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔) emphasized the urgency of a comprehensive cross-strait economic cooperation agreement and downplayed the impact of such a pact on the nation’s sovereignty.
“We [the Legislative Yuan] will demand that [articles of the pact] should be written to safeguard our sovereignty. We hope [the government] signs a CECA [with China] as soon as possible,” Yang said.
KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Hsiao Ching-tien (蕭景田) said the nation could lose numerous business opportunities without a cross-strait CECA after Japan, China and South Korea are included in ASEAN in the next few years.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FLORA WANG AND JERRY YANG
Also See: EDITORIAL: Ma ignores the fears of millions
Also See: Business leaders bat for CECA
RSS