Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on Sunday urged China
to sign a trade pact with Taiwan as soon as possible, despite
objection from Taiwan's opposition party DPP.
'The two sides should sign the Economic Cooperation Framework
Agreement (ECFA) this year or no later than next year,' Ma said at a
seminar in Taipei.
Dismissing the Democratic Progressive Party's fears that ECFA may
hurt Taiwan's sovereignty, Ma said it would be purely an economic
pact and has nothing to do with (Taiwan's) sovereignty. 'It is not
like CEPA,' he said, referring to China and Taiwan's Closer Economic
Partnership Agreement.
Ma said Taiwan should not ignore that fact that China has become
Taiwan's top trading partner and the third-largest economy in the
world.
'Our government will continue to make the effort to sign the
ECFA this year or no later than next year,' he said. 'Our government
is seeking to improve cross-strait ties. Last year our trade with
china accounted for 40 per cent of Taiwan's export. Currently 70,000
Taiwan companies have invested in China and created 10 million jobs.'
Taiwan-China ties have been improving rapidly since Ma took
office on May 20, 2008 and vowed to seek peace with China so that
Taipei could revitalize its economy.
Taipei and Beijing have been mulling the ECFA for some time to
expand trade ties, but the DPP, Taiwan's largest opposition party,
has blocked it.
The DPP has demanded a referendum to let the 23 million Taiwanese
decide if the ECFA should be signed.
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