A legislative committee came to an abrupt halt yesterday when the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) boycotted a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) proposal that would allow Chinese businesses to advertise in local media.
DPP lawmakers surrounded the podium where KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇), chairman of the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee, was standing, trying to talk him out of reviewing amendments to Article 34 of the Act Governing Relations between the Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例).
The revisions, proposed by Wu and KMT Legislator Daniel Hwang (黃義交) and endorsed by 28 other KMT lawmakers, would allow all Chinese products, labor services and other kinds of services to advertise in Taiwanese media.
Currently, Chinese advertisers must obtain permission to do so.
DPP Legislator Twu Shiing-jer (�?�) said this would deprive the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) of its right to screen potential advertisers, giving that power to Beijing. Twu said it was necessary to bar Chinese advertisements.
DPP Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) criticized the MAC for its “gutless” support of the legal revisions, saying “the new law would only benefit pro-China Chinese-language newspapers such as the China Times and the United Daily News.”
Describing the issue as “too complicated” and “too sensitive,” DPP Legislator Yu John-dow (余政道) said it was not the right time to review the bill and Hwang should withdraw his proposal. Wu, however, said Yu had no right to ask Hwang to do so.
After a bout of haggling, a consensus was reached before the meeting began that Hwang could explain the motives behind the proposal and that the meeting would be adjourned immediately after.
Wu said he regretted the decision, but he would respect the consensus.
DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), who arrived late, was unhappy when Wu said he would arrange another time to review the bill.
Wu then told Ker, a chain smoker, to go out and have a cigarette.
DPP lawmakers responded by swarming the podium, holding placards reading “Oppose Chinese investment in local media,” “open local media to promote bandits” and “Chinese capital comes, Taiwan democracy goes.”
Arguing that the matter was a public issue, Hwang said the global trend was to provide as much information as possible to consumers so they could make sound judgments based on the information available.
“Not a single government or country can over-protect their consumers,” he said. “I have faith in our people, who I think are entitled to comprehensive information. I also call on both the ruling and opposition parties to have confidence in the democratic system.”
Regarding the DPP’s worries, Hwang said there were laws in place to keep Chinese advertisers in check. Chinese businesses were unlikely to sway local media outlets if they were impartial in their reports and those failing to meet the needs of the public would be forced out of the market, he said.
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