As the Executive Yuan plans to continue pushing controversial policies before president-elect Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) inauguration on May 20, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers said that the DPP caucus would stage a boycott if the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) caretaker government attempts to force the policies through.
Following the KMT’s defeat in the presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 16, the Cabinet on Wednesday published a list of policies it said it would continue to push before Tsai takes office.
The policies include easing regulations to allow white-collar foreign workers in the nation, joining the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), allowing Chinese capital into the IC design industry, allowing Chinese visitors to buy securities in Taiwan, extending National Health Insurance coverage to Chinese students, mutually setting up representative offices across the Taiwan Strait with Beijing and shortening the waiting period for Chinese immigrant spouses’ naturalization.
The list also includes policy proposals that have been halted by the legislature, as well as amendments to existing laws.
Although the legislature had adopted a resolution requiring the Executive Yuan to make an industrial impact assessment report, hold public hearings, and make a presentation at the legislature before the legislature would review the proposal to allow Chinese capital in IC design, Minister of Economic Affairs John Deng (鄧振中) has been lobbying with KMT lawmakers to review the proposal in the new legislative session, so that it might be passed before May 20.
In addition, although Deng following the elections said that talks regarding the cross-strait trade in goods agreement would be suspended while the caretaker government is in office, he later said he would still push for continuing the talks if the situation permits.
DPP Legislator Lin Shu-fen (林淑芬) yesterday said that negotiations may only proceed after the legislature passes a bill regarding cross-strait negotiations, adding that as the bill is yet to be passed, the government should halt such negotiations.
As for the government’s plan to allow white-collar foreign workers into Taiwan, Lin said that the policy serves to fulfill the needs of businesses that want to cut labor costs and might cause salaries to drop, adding that if President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) government tries to force it through, the DPP would launch a boycott.
DPP legislator-elect Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said the policy outline for allowing white-collar foreign workers is incomplete and would further lower the starting salaries of young people.
As for the AIIB bid, Wang said that it concerns foreign policy, adding that the government should not do anything as it does not have a popular mandate.
The legislator-elect said that as the new legislature is about to take over, the DPP would “stop everything that should be stopped” in the legislature.
Since Vice Premier Simon Chang (張善政) said that the trade in goods agreement would not be signed before May 20, the preparatory works should be stopped for the moment, DPP legislator-elect Frida Tsai (蔡培慧) said, adding that after being sworn-in as a legislator she would talk to different government agencies, reminding them to shift their attention from trying to fulfill the requests of their superiors to protecting public interest.
DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) said the people have voted the KMT government out of office and therefore it should do its job as a caretaker government well and refrain from pushing controversial bills.
“If the premier tries to force anything through, we will wait and see,” he said.
Additional reporting by Tseng Wei-chen
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu, front, grabs the pennant in a dragon boat race hosted by Qu Yuan Temple in the Shuanghsi River in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday.
RSS