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No timetable for political talks with China: GIO head

ROC Central News Agency

2010/07/14 17:47:52

By Jorge Liu and Sofia Wu

New York, July 13 (CNA) Taiwan does not have any timetable for political talks with China after the recent signing of a bilateral economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) , the Government Information Office (GIO) minister said in New York Tuesday.

Fielding questions about whether the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will begin political negotiations after the recent signing of the ECFA, Johnny Chiang said the ECFA is purely an economic accord and has nothing to do with politics.

Chiang, who arrived in New York last weekend for a media tour, said after a speech at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs that President Ma Ying-jeou has said "very clearly" that he will not deal with issues of unification or independence during his term.

"There is still a long way to go and there is no timetable" for the two sides of the strait to enter political negotiations, Chiang said.

In his speech, Chiang said the ECFA, which will end tariffs on hundreds of products traded across the strait and offer Taiwanese firms access to 11 service sectors in China, will help Taiwan overcome economic isolation, boost cross-strait trade and economic cooperation and accelerate economic integration in Asia.

Nevertheless, Chiang said the ECFA is "just one part of the process, not the end goal." Taiwan will continue its efforts to sign free trade agreements (FTAs) with major trading partners, he said.

As a World Trade Organization member, Taiwan is entitled to sign FTA deals with its trade partners, Chiang said.

Asked whether the ECFA will lead to Taiwan's excessive reliance on China economically, Chiang said that in this era of globalization, countries around the world are mutually dependent. It is now difficult to differentiate whether a product is "made in China" or "made in Taiwan" because components and parts of many products are produced in both places, he said.

As to whether Taiwan still needs to procure weapons from the United States after the ECFA signing, Chiang said, "Taiwan still faces a significant security threat. President Ma has called on the Chinese mainland to stand down and withdraw the missiles aimed at Taiwan."

"A credible military deterrent for Taiwan is essential to prevent any miscalculation," he added.

On the possible impact on China of closer cross-strait exchanges, Chiang said: "So far 1.28 million Chinese tourists have visited Taiwan. I think they already know what democracy is. I think that's the best way to demonstrate what freedom is."

"Our democracy, however, is not a bargaining chip, " he said. "It is not negotiable."