China’s so-called “incentives” for Taiwan might be an attempt to blur the lines between politics and business, a trade academic said yesterday, adding that there is still the risk of sudden trade bans.
Feng Chia University international business professor Yang Ming-hsien (楊明憲) made the comment after China announced 10 “incentive measures” for Taiwan, including facilitating the sales of Taiwanese agricultural and fishery products and investments in China, and the promotion of the resumption of travel to Taiwan.
The measures came after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) met with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing on Friday.
Photo: Yang Yuan-ting, Taipei Times
International trade mechanisms typically allows the import of agricultural products as long as local quarantine standards are met, but China is also imposing political demands, such as adhering to the so-called “1992 consensus” and opposing “Taiwanese independence,” Yang said.
The “1992 consensus,” a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000, refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese government that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
The political prerequisites imply that Taiwanese agricultural products were rejected by China solely due to political reasons, he said, adding that there could be a persistent risk of such arbitrary rejections.
Beijing might also require Taiwanese enterprises to register in China, which would mean that businesses would have to invest or establish local production facilities in China, Yang said.
However, as there is no investment protection agreement between Taiwan and China, issues such as labor recruitment, profit distribution and stakeholder interests in liquidation remain unaddressed, he added.
While the Chinese market is undeniably important, Taiwan’s agricultural trade should continue to diversify across different markets in light of these risks, he said.
Tunghai University Cross-Strait Research Center deputy executive director Hung Pu-chao (洪浦釗) said that when cross-strait interactions come with political prerequisites, exchanges cease to be neutral and instead operate strictly within that framework.
Such frameworks are not designed to facilitate acceptance, but rather to pressure the Taiwanese government through rejections, he said.
The true objective of China’s new policy is to sow division in Taiwan by creating a narrative that the government is “obstructing exchanges and hindering development,” Hung said.
China is attempting to establish a channel for dialogue that bypasses Taiwan’s democratically-elected government, with the goal of cultivating a specific perception: Any political party willing to accept China’s political framework can serve as a vehicle for cross-strait interaction, he said.
If this perception is accepted by other countries, it would impact the government’s representation and leadership in cross-strait affairs, and would become a national security concern, he added.
China’s political prerequisites show that exchanges, and its trade and economic measures are not simple interactions, he said.
Hung warned that constructing bridges from China to Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, and sharing airports and flight arrangements would result in a much deeper form of connectivity, and could impact Taiwan’s governance and national security.
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