Tsai Ing-wen Should Clarify Whether She Supports or Opposes an ECFA

News Release

Tsai Ing-wen Should Clarify Whether She Supports or Opposes an ECFA

Source: KMT Cultural and Communications Committee

February 10, 2010

KMT Spokesman Lee Chien-jung proposed five questions for DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen in response to her press conference held yesterday evening in which she questioned the wisdom of concluding a Cross-Strait Economic Agreement.  Does the DPP support or oppose a Cross-Strait Economic Agreement?  If the DPP opposes a Cross-Strait Economic Framework Agreement (ECFA), please tell the public what the DPP’s alternative plan is?  Is the DPP’s negative assessment of an ECFA in Taiwan’s best interests?  Could DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen clarify the DPP’s assessment to the public?

KMT Spokesman Lee Chien-jung went on to say that he had proposed ten questions for Chairperson Tsai after the fourth Chiang-Chen Talks were held last December.  However, in her response, Chairperson Tsai failed to directly address any of the points.  Spokesman Lee added that if the DPP again failed to address the following five questions, the KMT would propose further questions for the DPP tomorrow.

The five questions proposed by Spokesman Lee are as follows:

One. While serving as the Mainland Affairs Council Chairperson, Tsai had opposed setting up an oversight committee on cross-Strait affairs.  Now, as the opposition party Chairperson, she supports setting up an oversight committee on cross-Strait affairs.  Doesn’t this show that Chairperson Tsai has a double standard?  Were your rationales and logic correct before?  Or correct now?  Please clarify.

Two.  Chairperson Tsai participated in economic and trade negotiations on behalf of the government in the past.  Please tell us whether you had ever been subject to the oversight of the Legislative Yuan before, during or after the negotiations?  Now the Mainland Affairs Council and other related government agencies all report to the Legislative Yuan and are subject to the oversight of the Legislative Yuan before, during and after the consultations with the Mainland, why does the DPP now oppose this mechanism?  Please clarify.

Three.  Does the DPP support or oppose concluding an ECFA with the Mainland?  Chairperson Tsai, please clearly answer this question.  Do not dodge the question.  If the DPP opposes concluding an ECFA with the Mainland, please tell the public the DPP’s alternative plan.

Four.  In the DPP’s negative assessment of an ECFA with the Mainland, does it do more good than harm?  Or does it do more harm than good?  DPP Chairpersons Tsai Ing-wen, please tell the public about the DPP’s assessment clearly.

Five.  After concluding trade agreements with other countries, does not every country adopt remedial measures to assist industries which would be impacted as a result?  Does Chairperson Tsai support the government’s proposal to provide aid in the form of technical assistance in transformation, or allocate budget for subsidies, to industries which would be impacted as a result?

Editor’s note: In order to improve communication with the public, the Presidential Palace and the Executive Yuan have reached consensus that in the future, domestically, all ministries and government agencies will use the Chinese term “兩岸經濟協議” (“Cross-Strait Economic Agreement”) in lieu of ECFA (Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement).

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