The government would seek to terminate an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China if the public were to veto the deal through a referendum, Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang (施顏祥) said yesterday.
If the ECFA were rejected in a referendum, it would mean that the agreement was invalid in Taiwan, Shih told lawmakers during a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee.
The government would notify Beijing, he said, “in accordance with a ‘termination clause,’ to have the agreement terminated within a certain period of time.”
President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration has set a goal of signing the proposed trade pact next year. Concerned that the ECFA would undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty, the Democratic Progressive Party and the Taiwan Solidarity Union are strongly against the plan and are pushing for a referendum on the pact.
If an ECFA is signed next month as planned, the Cabinet would submit the agreement to the legislature for review next month or in July, Shih said.
Even if the pact were endorsed by the legislature, the public could still express objections to it through a referendum, Shih said.
“We must respect public opinion. Referendums are one of the options available to the people,” he said.
The government would not agree to measures that harm Taiwan’s interests, he said, citing a recent statement by Ma that he would give up the proposed pact if Taiwan’s interests could not be secured.
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