Background Information
April 3, 2014 -- At a press conference today, Premier Jiang Yi-huah explained preparations for a national affairs conference on economics and trade, saying that the administration is willing to work with opponents of the cross-strait services agreement to address their concerns and questions.
“A discussion of the issues should be conducted free of ideological influence and in a rational manner. We all love Taiwan, and that is why we should gather scholars, experts and knowledgeable people for a forum about this important decision that will affect the nation’s future.”
The government will keep an open mind about the national affairs conference on economics and trade, and hopes that the discussions will demonstrate the strength of Taiwan’s democracy and reason to people at home and abroad, Jiang said.
Jiang also hopes such discussions can allow those with concerns or differing views about Taiwan’s future to learn to listen to one another. He pledged that the government will maintain a humble attitude and pay heed to all different voices. No matter what the outcome may be, the administration will respect the decision of the people, because a national consensus is the only bedrock that will allow the government to move forward.
The premier stated that preparations are being made for a national affairs conference on economics and trade rather than a citizens’ forum on the constitution as advocated by student groups because many of those opposed to the cross-strait trade in services agreement are also worried about the follow-up trade in goods agreement with mainland China. These issues involve not merely whether the services pact will clear the Legislative Yuan or if the trade in goods agreement will proceed smoothly, but also whether these agreements with mainland China can improve Taiwan’s chances of gaining membership into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
The premier further noted that the issue on hand involves not only one single agreement but Taiwan’s entire economic future. Therefore, when the administration decided to call a national affairs conference to address matters of concern for the entire citizenry, it naturally wanted to focus on trade-related topics.
As to why the government chose not to hold the citizens’ constitutional forum, Jiang said the public’s foremost concern is Taiwan’s future economic development rather than constitutional issues such as parliamentary and judicial reforms, or whether the head of the government should be the president or the premier. If the national affairs conference does not concentrate on one central issue, unfocused discussion of a wide range of topics may lead to failure to resolve any of the issues. As such, after a meeting of key financial Cabinet members, the Executive Yuan recommended to the president to hold a conference focusing on trade and economics.
The premier said the conference will be organized by the National Development Council and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, with the agenda containing three parts. The first part will explore how Taiwan can keep up with global trends in regional economic and trade integration. Discussion will center on whether Taiwan should actively seek participation in TPP and RCEP; whether bypassing mainland China is a possibility in Taiwan’s effort to join these free-trade agreement schemes; and what Taiwan’s strategies should be if trade ties with mainland China are unavoidable.
Part two of the agenda will identify the challenges facing Taiwan in its effort toward regional integration as well as the actions to take. Premier Jiang said as all progress comes at a price, the Executive Yuan should keep the people fully informed of the advantages and disadvantages of regional economic integration.
“Some may doubt that taking part in regional economic integration would bring more good than harm; some may think such a move would exacerbate the rich-poor divide, weaken Taiwan’s economic power or compromise its sovereignty,” the premier added, “but the government is willing to confront all these doubts and worries through calm and rational discussion and arrive at the best possible, well-rounded solution.”
The third part will center on the connection between cross-strait policies and Taiwan’s future economic development. Premier Jiang noted that many opponents of the services agreement are not necessarily against the pact itself but are concerned about the kind of relationship that will develop between Taiwan and the mainland, and whether cross-strait policies will see fundamental changes because of Taiwan’s integration with the regional economy. Without a thorough discussion on how the government should steer Taiwan’s relations with the mainland, there can be no consensus about Taiwan’s future direction.
Since mainland China is the main issue of concern for many opponents of the services agreement, the government will address the issue together with the people. As Taiwan continues to democratize, internationalize and liberalize, people must learn to open up and talk about their worries. The government believes that a national affairs conference will allow citizens to exchange opinions with one another. People may not agree on every issue, but at least they can find some common ground among their differences. This is what the national economics and trade conference will try to achieve.
As for how the national affairs conference will be organized, the government is planning to first hold regional conferences in northern, central, southern and eastern Taiwan from late April to mid-May. Each session will invite 120 representatives from industries, government, academia, research institutes as well as civic groups. The national-level conference will be held early June. The government will remain open about the general topics, who to invite, and the rate of progress. Impartial members of society will also be invited to serve on an advisory panel.
Finally, the premier said this national conference will be making bold use of online technologies. Not only will the regional and national conferences be broadcast live on the Internet, citizens can also give their feedback online. The government will use the web as a platform of exchange with the people, taking advantage of the many different Internet tools available to allow the general public to participate in this event. The topics can be collected through the different online platforms, sorted into categories, and then discussed at the conferences.
Email: fplfbi@mofa.gov.tw
Mobile: 0919-277-555,0910-150-917
Tel: (02)2380-5683
Fax: (02)2311-2519
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