At a Dragon Boat Festival banquet held in Kaohsiung this evening for Taiwanese businesspeople returning from mainland China, Premier Jiang Yi-huah lauded the guests as symbols of Taiwan's economic dynamism. The mixer was hosted by the Mainland Affairs Council, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Straits Exchange Foundation, the Taipei-based Chinese National Federation of Industries, and the General Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of China.
After conveying President Ma Ying-jeou's holiday wishes, the premier expressed his gratitude to the businessmen and women for their valuable suggestions and for taking concern with economic developments at home even while working abroad.
Taiwan's economic structure remains vigorous and sound, Premier Jiang said, despite sluggishness in the global economy and especially in major export markets such as the U.S., mainland China and Europe.
Since institutionalized cross-strait talks were reactivated after President Ma took office in 2008, Taiwan and the mainland have held eight rounds of talks and signed 18 agreements, Jiang said. A ninth round of talks will be held at the end of this month to negotiate the signing of a trade in services pact. When signed, the latest agreement will create more business opportunities in follow-up negotiations on the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA).
The premier also talked to the banquet participants about various national economic projects, including the opening of free economic pilot zones (FEPZs). Details for this project are expected to be finalized this July or August, and a special law will be put forward in the latter half of the year to form the legal basis for setting up FEPZs across Taiwan. Before then, the nation's six free-trade zones (Port of Kaohsiung, Port of Taichung, Port of Keelung, Port of Taipei, Su-ao Port and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport) will be designated as sites for the FEPZs. Passage of the special law is expected to usher in a new level of trade liberalization for Taiwan.
Jiang said the FEPZs on the one hand can serve as a strategic base for Taiwanese businesses, and on the other can connect Taiwan with regional economies. Apart from ECFA follow-up talks with mainland China, Taiwan is currently negotiating economic agreements with New Zealand and Singapore. Signing these pacts will create win-win situations for all parties while improving Taiwan's prospects for joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Taiwan's economic strengths lay in import, export and re-export trade, the premier emphasized. If Taiwanese businesses overseas, especially those in mainland China, would return and invest in Taiwan, they could create more jobs, boost wage levels and benefit the entire nation. Hence the government will devote every effort to help them overcome investment obstacles, by relaxing laws, providing business loans, making land available and changing labor rules.
Premier Jiang was accompanied at tonight's banquet by the Executive Yuan's Secretary-General Chen Wei-zen, Political Deputy Secretary-General Chien Tai-lang and Minister without Portfolio Yang Chiu-hsing.