Premier Jiang Yi-huah today met outside the Legislative Yuan with representatives of the university students protesting the Cross-Strait Agreement on Trade in Services and the method in which it was advanced to the floor of the Legislature.
The Executive Yuan hopes for an article-by-article discussion and review of the agreement in the Legislature and will absolutely not have it passed as a package deal, the premier stated.
At the same time, Jiang fervently hopes that all those who are worried about Taiwan's future can maintain a calm, rational attitude to conclude the protest as early as possible.
The premier said he strongly approves of students' concern for their nation's future and hopes to have dialogue with them. However, the occupation of the Legislature for the past five days has brought work on bills important to citizens' livelihoods as well as the unfreezing of funds from the national budget to a standstill, and he is worried that administration of national affairs will be affected. Hence, after talking with President Ma Ying-jeou, Jiang decided to meet with young protesters outside the Legislative Yuan to express the government's concern for them and dispel their anxiety and misconceptions about the services pact.
Nevertheless, disorderly conduct such as the occupation of the building and damage to public property is unacceptable, Jiang indicated, and he cannot accept it. "The Legislature is the solemn and sacred place where the elected representatives gather and make the highest expression of public will by exercising the authority to oversee executive agencies," he said. "Hence, no one should occupy the Legislature and put forward numerous demands for the government and legislators to answer."
Jiang added that the government is hoping to discuss the issues in a rational, peaceful and democratic manner. In the past week, he said, students have been sitting calmly, listening to others speak and taking turns at the podium, all without causing any disorder. As the premier made his way to the Legislative Yuan today, the protestors made no irrational moves despite crowd conditions.
"After decades of cultivation as a democratic culture, Taiwan has become a country we can be proud of," he said. As for the student representatives' request that the premier agree to two demands before talks begin, Jiang said the government is willing to enter into an honest dialogue with the students, but there should be no preconditions.
Regarding misconceptions about the services pact, Premier Jiang said the agreement will not sell out Taiwan nor undermine its sovereignty, but will rather benefit the nation. Under the trade pact, mainland China has made 80 specific commitments to Taiwan giving it more favorable treatment than other World Trade Organization (WTO) members. Meanwhile, Taiwan's 64 commitments to the mainland are not better than the treatment accorded other WTO members. The administration hopes this accord will take effect very soon as it is the only way to catch up to other competitors in the mainland market.
The premier also addressed untrue speculations that the pact will allow mainland workers to come to Taiwan and cost 5 million Taiwanese jobs. Jiang explained that the agreement would actually create 12,000 new jobs without adverse effects to cab drivers, factory workers, nurses or other basic-level workers. The government has never changed any of its policies on mainland immigration and will not open Taiwan to investor immigrants.
Regarding the students' demand that the services trade pact be withdrawn and a law monitoring future cross-strait agreements be made, Premier Jiang indicated the ruling party supports discussing, reviewing and voting on the accord article-by-article. He also said lawmakers could have thoroughly examined the pact, but regrettably the opposition parties resorted to a boycott to derail article-by-article discussion. "That was the reason why the ruling-party legislator who chaired the joint committee review meeting quickly decided to send the pact to the plenary," he said.
Jiang stressed that even though the services trade agreement had been sent to the plenary, the Executive Yuan still hopes the Legislative Yuan can hold an article-by-article discussion and review of the deal's content instead of passing it in a package.
Premier Jiang also pointed out the government had amended the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area to pave the way for the enactment of a mechanism for monitoring cross-strait accords. "The ruling party has reached a decision to adopt a four-phase communication mechanism for the Legislature and the general public to jointly monitor the government's processing of future cross-strait agreements during discussions, before and after the pacts are signed and after they take effect," noted the premier.
"The Legislative Yuan will be welcome to designate representatives to monitor the development of each phase. The government will also take the initiative in briefing ruling and opposition legislative caucuses on the main content of agreements pending signature," said the premier, adding the recently inked two cross-strait pacts on meteorological and seismological cooperation were monitored based on the spirit of the four-phase mechanism, which will also be applied to future accords.