Many businesses across Taiwan support the cross-strait services trade agreement and approve of the government's drive to liberalize markets and boost industrial competitiveness, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said today.
Speaking to the Taipei-based Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce, the premier said he has received positive responses on the agreement from a broad variety of industries, including online game companies, laundry businesses and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.
Since the agreement was signed last month, Jiang said, certain media outlets have deliberately misled the public with news headlines or stories that do not reflect any of the views of local businesses. Hence, it is necessary to communicate with industries and send the right message to the public.
Jiang cited his visit to Kaohsiung last weekend to trade opinions with business leaders. The owner of an online game company told him the pact has slashed the application time for exporting games to the mainland from six to two months, which will give a significant edge to their products. It is unfortunate this type of positive response is seldom reported in the news, Jiang said.
In addition, the chairman of the Laundry Business Association of the ROC said that as long as Taiwan's laundry industry can timely upgrade its machinery, its technological standards and service quality will always exceed those of the mainland. These businesses welcome the opening of the mainland market. "They are not afraid of competition, nor are they easily intimidated," Jiang added.
The premier has also spoken at more than a dozen public forums in past weeks to explain the services trade agreement. He said Taiwan was able to build economic prosperity and social stability for so many years because previous generations chose the path of liberalization and competitive development. As domestic markets became opened to foreign competitors, local industries were compelled to transform and upgrade themselves. Conversely, Taiwan was able to export its products to more markets worldwide to create the "economic miracle." The cross-strait services trade agreement provides such a strategy for long-term national development.
For many Taiwanese industries, the pact has thrown open the gates to mainland China to create business opportunities never seen before, the premier continued. Competitive sectors like financial services, e-commerce businesses, online gaming companies, as well as dining, tourism, construction and architecture industries are expected to gain far more than the vulnerable industries will lose.
The premier again asked government officials to explain the agreement and the importance of liberalization to industry leaders and to pay close attention to their business needs.