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26
June 2010 Tens of
thousands of demonstrators
in Taiwan have been venting
their anger at a trade deal
with China, to be signed on
Tuesday.
Supporters say it will boost
Taiwan's economy but critics
fear it could pave the way
for a Chinese takeover.
China and Taiwan have been
separately governed since
the end of a civil war in
1949, though China still
sees the island as its
territory.
Leaders of the opposition
Democratic Progressive Party
are calling for Taiwan to
hold a referendum on the
pact, known as the Economic
Cooperation Framework
Agreement.
Police said around 32,000
people took part in the
protests. The opposition
said there were 100,000
demonstrators on the
streets.
"The Taiwanese have worked
so hard to achieve the
democracy we have today, and
we will not allow China to
control us," he continued.
Job loss
fears
Taiwan's government has said
the deal is crucial to keep
its exports competitive with
those of China's other trade
partners.
But the opposition DPP say
the deal could be the first
step in a Chinese political
takeover. Most Taiwanese
resist the idea of
unification with the
Communist mainland. It fears
China, the dominant partner,
will in time gain greater
control over what goes on
here as a result.
The protesters suspect China
is giving concessions now
but will exact a heavy price
at a later date. For China's
leaders, though, this
probably is more about
politics than economics.
They hope this deal will
help them to win hearts and
minds in Taiwan.
That is important if they
are ever to achieve their
goal of bringing the island
back under the control of
Beijing. The opposition also
warns that a flood of cheap
Chinese imports could lead
to factory closures and the
loss of jobs.
Despite decades of
animosity, the two
neighbours have become major
trading partners, says the
BBC's Cindy Sui in Taipei.
China has offered what are
considered unusually
generous terms, cutting
tariffs on 539 Taiwanese
products entering its
market. These include car
parts, petrochemicals and
fruit. In contrast, only 267
Chinese products would
benefit from reduced tariffs
on the Taiwanese side.
China would be able to
invest in some Taiwanese
service industries, while
Taiwan would gain access to
sectors such as computer
services and airline
maintenance in China. The
government of President Ma
Ying-Jeou has made closer
ties with China one of its
leading policies.
Its aim is to reduce
tensions across the Taiwan
Strait, a flashpoint for
decades since 1949. China
still has more than 1,000
missiles targeting the
island as a warning against
declaring formal
independence. Opinion polls
indicate that a majority of
Taiwanese back the trade
agreement.
It could open the way for
Taiwan to sign free-trade
deals with other countries,
something Beijing has
resisted in the past.
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