The nation’s agriculture foundations and research centers have failed to prioritize Taiwan as a locale of development, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) said yesterday, adding that their actions were tantamount to biting the hand that feeds.
At an interpellation session at the Legislative Yuan, Lai criticized Taiwan Agricultural Information Technology Association Chairman Chiu Yi-chih (邱奕志) for comments at this year’s Cross-Strait Technology Forum, held from Sept. 19 to Sept. 22 in Haikou in China’s Hainan Province.
Chiu told the forum that Taiwan has made great strides in “smart agriculture” development.
However, he added: “Taiwan suffers from insufficient land. We have considered moving entire factories to Hainan, and Hainan would be an excellent production base for smart agriculture.”
Standing at the helm of an association that has benefitted from more than NT$100 million (US$3.23 million) in public funds, it is hard to believe that Chiu could give China an opportunity to siphon off Taiwanese technical expertise, Lai said.
The government has spent a fortune subsidizing people and foundations that address agricultural matters, and yet they are not reciprocating by advancing technology in Taiwan or establishing bases in the nation, instead moving to China, Lai said.
Chiu also doubles as a board member at the Taiwan Agricultural Mechanization Research and Development Center, Lai said, adding that he has participated in the Council of Agriculture’s (COA) Agricultural Productivity 4.0 program, which oversaw the development of robotics for agricultural use.
Chiu could not be reached for comment as of press time last night.
Lai also criticized Rural Development Foundation executive director Hu Hsing-hua (胡興華).
“Hu is a high-ranking official fostered by the Taiwanese government, and any technical expertise and contacts that he has should be considered national assets,” Lai said. “As such, he, and any knowledge and contacts he possesses, should be restricted from [being transferred to] China.”
Hu previously served as a COA deputy minister and Fisheries Agency director-general.
Lai was referring to reports that Hu allegedly signed an accord with China in his capacity of executive director of the Rural Development Foundation, but failed to report it to the foundation’s board or the COA.
Hu yesterday said that his visit to China in 2016 did not have national security implications, as it was a simple trip.
COA Deputy Minister Lee Tui-chih (李退之) told lawmakers that the council would launch an investigation of all specialists cleared to access restricted information.
The council would also look into any leak of classified information at COA-funded foundations, Lee added.
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