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ARATS Chairman Chen Urges Taiwan to Agree Domestically Service Trade Agreement with China

2014/12/16 | By Judy Li

Amid frequent news of declining competitiveness of Taiwan, hardship suffered by Taiwanese youths whose compensation  worsens with time, further opening markets on both sides of Taiwan Strait is critical lest Taiwan be even more marginalized in the increasingly competitive global arena, said Chen Deming, president of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) during his recent visit to the island.

Chen also disclosed that the free trade agreement (FTA) reached between China and South Korea will be inked within two years, meaning China is giving Taiwan a two-year buffer to allow the authorities to accelerate reaching domestic consensus on the cross-strait service trade agreement to be signed with China.

So far Taiwan and China have  inked 21 agreements since 2008 when Ma Ying-jeou (KMT party) was elected as President, with Chen saying Taiwan and  China have since benefited from such agreements.

Chen believes Taiwan and China  can keep peaceful and economic relations and developments despite the rout of the KMT by the DPP in the recent elections that voted in mayors as well as township administrators in rural Taiwan, but insisted that such relationship has to be built on the "one China" policy as defined and mutually agreed upon in November 1992 in Hong Kong.

Political analysts indicate that Chen came to Taiwan to see first-hand post-election political and economic landscape in Taiwan, also to affirm the unaltered, basic  China-v-Taiwan policy.

Chen kept a low profile this visit  and focused visiting agricultural, biotechnology, and tourism businesses as well as volunteer organizations. (JL)