Taiwan News, Staff Writer
The ruling KMT Legislator Ting Shou-chung yesterday blasted Agricultural Minister Chen Wu-hsiung for refusing to include agricultural products in the list of zero-tariff treatment of the ECFA with China. Ting criticized Chen for self-restraint and irresponsibility, according to a report of Liberty Times.
Ting said in the Legislative Yuan that what Taiwan farmers and fishers really care about is what benefits they can get from the economic agreement. The Council of Agriculture should actively propose the list of preferential treatments to China to convince local skeptics.
Ting added that Taiwan’s abundant fishery products are almost not listed in the zero-tax items, while the favored items are not enough to be exported to China. It seems that China just pays the lip service in “allowing benefits” to Taiwan.
Responding to Ting’s accusation, Chen noted that agriculture is not a part of the agenda during the negotiation of the ECFA. In fact, China had unilaterally declared zero-tax treatments for fifteen kinds of fruits and eight fishery items for Taiwan.
Chen added that “haste makes waste” in the negotiation with China. There are still other ways to pursue the benefits for Taiwan farmers and fishers if the proposal would cause potential conflicts in the haggling.
Taiwan News
