Taipei Time: What's the most important message the Economic Development Advisory Conference (EDAC) has tried to convey?
Wu Rong-I (吳榮義): EDAC was called in order to target short-term problems facing Taiwan's economy. Morris Chang (張忠謀), chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電), put it quite correctly that the conference was to tackle short-term problems.
In fact, since President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and the DPP took power, Taiwan's economy has been slowing down fast. With so many people involved in the stock market and watching the price index plummet, they blamed the government for its lack of experience in dealing with an economic downturn. While I don't know who advised Chen to form the EDAC, it proved to be a success for him, as the conference enabled people from different parties, business groups, the private sector and the government to sit down and discuss solutions to Taiwan's sagging economy. In my understanding, it's been very difficult for the government to get all the parties to sit down and create an agenda [for, discussion] in the past.
TT: Do you believe the outcome of the conference will be followed by smooth formulation and implementation of its 322 proposals?
Wu: I remember President Chen said at the conference's opening ceremony that consensus proposals reached during the conference should be implemented. In addition, Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jing-ping (王金平) also said he would make consensus-based proposals the first priority in the Legislature's process. So, from the administration's point of view, I think the Executive Yuan will be 100 percent dedicated to implementing all 322 proposals. As for the Legislative Yuan, which started a new session last week, there is heavy pressure on lawmakers not to oppose the proposals. We will see.
TT: As a member of EDAC's cross-strait panel, what's your position on China-bound investment policy and the direct links issue?
Wu: To be honest, I'm quite conservative, in that I still think the original `no haste, be patient' (戒急用忍) policy is better than the new `active opening, effective management' (積極開放,有效管理) policy. I have to admit though, that the problem with the old policy was it didn't have a clear agenda and in reality, people can make investments wherever they want, with or without government approval.
However, there is a problem regarding the new policy, in that people can take the part they want. If they are pro-opening, they will take the first part -- active opening; if they are against active opening they will choose the second part -- effective management.
While we have also agreed to replace a US$50 million limit on individual investments in China by local companies with other measures, I think that ... many others -- such as direct links and opening Taiwan to mainland Chinese tourists -- actually need further negotiations with China.
TT: So, do you think WTO will become a forum for discussing cross-strait links with China?
Wu: I think cross-strait negotiations are the most difficult part. Some have asked, if China doesn't agree to negotiate, how should Taiwan respond? Others say, if Taiwan doesn't accept the "one China" policy, then China won't negotiate with us. There is a problem, but we hope that China and Taiwan can each make certain concessions and sit down with equal dignity and hold discussions.
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