Taiwan’s top China policy-making body is calling on Beijing to seize the opportunity to negotiate a trade in goods agreement with Taiwan before President Ma Ying-jeou steps down. That’s the word from Taiwan’s top China policymaker -- Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Wang Yu-chi -- on Monday.
Wang told lawmakers that recently there’s been no progress on the deal because China is taking a wait-and-see attitude following the ruling KMT’s setback in last month’s elections.
Wang said China must seize the opportunity to sign an agreement before President Ma Ying-jeou ends his second term in May, 2016.
“We made it clear to China that they should seize the limited time left in the Ma administration to do more that benefits the Taiwanese people, like signing the trade-in-goods agreement,” said Wang.
Wang responded to critics who say the government has failed to explain the benefits of cross-strait trade ties to the public. He said that cross-strait trade exchanges have led to numerous benefits, including trade agreements with Singapore and New Zealand, visa free visits for Taiwanese passport holders to 173 nations and areas, and warming ties with the United States.