A panel of consultants for the forthcoming national conference on economic and trade affairs held their first meeting this afternoon at the Executive Yuan, making overall plans for the conference while discussing cross-strait ties and Taiwan's participation in regional economic integration.
The panel elected Premier Jiang Yi-huah and former Vice Premier Lin Hsin-i as meeting co-chairs before hearing from National Development Council Minister Kuan Chung-ming on preparations for the national conference. The consultants discussed the topics, format and schedule of the conference as well as the principles and methods for selecting representatives to the event.
Jiang said he hopes the conference will serve as a national platform for exploring economic and trade strategies and discussing how to equip domestic industries to face globalization. Keeping an open attitude, the government will incorporate opinions from all sectors and find common ground for Taiwan's economic future, he reiterated.
Over the past six decades, Taiwan's economy has been on the path of liberalization, internationalization and modernization. Such economic growth is essential for social stability, prosperity and wealth, Jiang said. With the rise in globalism and increasing intensity of world trade in the last decade, Taiwan must reposition its economic and trade strategies for these new challenges.
One challenge Taiwan currently faces is gaining membership into the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which are unquestionably two of the most important trade blocs in the region. Although most citizens agree that Taiwan should enter into these treaties at the soonest, they are concerned about Taiwan's readiness and whether certain industries are competitive enough.
Premier Jiang said that the mixed responses triggered by the Cross-Strait Agreement on Trade in Services have affected the pace and direction of Taiwan's efforts to participate in the international economic system. However, the government will not shy away from regional economic integration nor sidestep complex issues brought on by cross-strait relations.
At the end of the meeting, the premier expressed gratitude to the participants for taking time out of their busy schedules to come to the Executive Yuan. He hopes that the consultants can continue offering valuable insights during conference preparations in the weeks ahead.
Executive Yuan Spokesperson Sun Lih-chyun summarized today's meeting conclusions as follows. In terms of conference topics, the consultants believe that discussions of Taiwan's regional economic integration should focus more on the model of cross-strait economic interaction. Similarly, discussions of globalism should center on Taiwan's economic development model, such as balancing economic efficiency and fair distribution.
Regarding the format of the conference, the consultants proposed innovative ways of participation, such as collecting public opinions online and including them into the actual conference. The consultants also said that the administrative departments should prepare thoroughly and provide information and background materials beforehand so that the conference can proceed smoothly.
As for choosing delegates to represent the public at the conference, they should be nominated by the consultants and various communities so as to expand the level of participation and ensure fair and balanced representation. Political parties, administrative departments, academic and industrial sectors, civic groups and online groups all will be invited to send representatives to the conference.
Following today's lively discussions, the panel will hold a second meeting as soon as possible to build further consensus on the national conference.