Taiwan working toward goal of signing ECFA in June
Focus Taiwan News Channel | 6 May 2010
Taiwan working toward goal of signing ECFA in June
Taipei, May 5 (CNA) The government is continuing to work toward the goal of signing the proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China in June and believes the goal is attainable, Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang said Wednesday.
Shih told legislators during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Economics Committee that Taiwan has discussed the timetable with China on some unofficial occasions, but he said it has not been finalized.
Premier Wu Den-yih said a day earlier that the agreement could be signed in the first half of June if the two sides were able to hammer out by late May the text of the agreement and the content of each side’s "early harvest" list — a list of goods and services that will first enjoy tariff reductions or preferred market access under the deal.
According to Shih, financial services are among the "early harvest" items proposed by Taiwan, and he said authorities from the two sides have begun to discuss related issues.
In terms of goods, Taiwan hopes that machinery, petrochemicals and mid- and upper-stream textiles could be included, but there are still differences with China in this area that need to be resolved, Shih said.
On whether automobiles and flat panels have been excluded from the list, the minister said the two sides are still discussing the automobile issue because it involves an international import quota.
As to flat panels, the products are not a priority item, but Taiwan will raise the issue with China whenever there is an opportunity, he added.
Asked about a recent comment by an American congresswoman that the ECFA is a Trojan horse Beijing is using to help it annex Taiwan, Shih said the analogy was a misconception because the scenario will not happen.
After the April 25 debate between President Ma Ying-jeou and opposition Democratic Progressive Party Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen, the results of various opinion surveys show that more than 50 percent of the public support the ECFA, Shih said.
He stressed that Taiwan has also continued to discuss the opportunity to sign free trade agreements with its major trade partners, including the United States. (By Lin Shu-yun and Y.F. Low) ENDITEM/ls
