President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday emphasized the importance of cultivating negotiation and litigation talent as the administration seeks to sign an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with Beijing.
Saying that Taiwan should foster more lawyers specializing in international law, Ma added that government agencies should also recruit or nurture more talent in this regard to protect the country’s rights at the WTO.
“As we plan to negotiate an ECFA with the mainland and similar agreements with other countries, we need talented people specializing in negotiation and in litigation,” he said.
Ma made the remarks at the Presidential Office yesterday morning while meeting members of a debate team participating in this year’s 50th Jessup Moot Court Competition in Washington.
Ma said he was glad to see more young people study international law and that he hoped their contribution would help advance the country’s interests at the WTO and other international organizations.
In related news, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday dismissed speculation that Beijing had suspended its ECFA discussions with Taipei.
MAC Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛) said on the legislative floor that both sides could begin ECFA negotiations when they were ready, but while the council hoped the two sides could begin official consultations next month, Taiwan had to wait until China was ready to enter the next stage.
The speculation that Beijing intended to stall the negotiations was fueled by a statement by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office head Wang Yi (王毅) on Monday that talks should wait until both sides are ready.
In related news, a top MAC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the council hoped the Dalai Lama’s recent visit to Taiwan would not have a negative impact on the government’s plans to sign the ECFA, three financial memorandums of understanding (MOUs) or the number of Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan.
The official said it was natural for people to draw a connection between the visit of the Tibetan leader and a drop in the number of Chinese tourists in Taiwan.
While the Chinese government has given no indication that it was limiting the number of tourists, it was unclear whether this might be an unofficial policy, the official said.
The official said the Republic of China is an independent country with needs of its own, and the government would make every effort to pursue the best interests of the country and its people.
The official also urged both sides to cherish the “historical opportunity” that emerged after Ma took office last year and make an effort to understand and overcome the difficulties that arise along the way.
On the signing of three financial memorandums of understanding with China, the official said the council had authorized the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) on June 25 to handle the matter.
The two sides are negotiating final details, such as who should sign the agreements, when and where to sign them and whether to make use of the Republic of China calendar year.
Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) said yesterday it amounted to self-deception to say the Dalai Lama’s visit did not have any impact on cross-strait relations.
Nonetheless, Chiang said, it would not affect the upcoming meeting between him and his Chinese counterpart, Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林).
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