Friday, January 03, 2014

DPP calls for inclusion of China pacts in draft treaty

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Deals with China should be included in the Legislative Yuan’s scheduled discussion on the draft treaty act as “a safety valve” is necessary for the future handling of cross-strait negotiations, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus said yesterday.

“The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus is advised to support the inclusion of China in the deliberation of the treaty act next week because early consultation, better communication and the room for renegotiation are all necessary in cross-strait engagements so that the interests of Taiwanese would be protected,” DPP lawmaker Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬) told a news conference.

After President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) pledged inter-party collaboration in his New Year speech on Wednesday, the DPP proposed the establishment of a Legislative Yuan panel on cross-strait affairs, Gao added.

Responding to the initiative, KMT caucus whip Lin Hung-chih (林鴻池) said the procedure for legislative monitoring of cross-strait agreements is already in place, adding that while improvements to the mechanism are welcome, the DPP should not use procedural issues to block the cross-strait service trade agreement, which was signed in June last year, but has yet to clear the legislature.

“[The DPP’s] blocking of the service trade agreement would jeopardize Taiwan’s future economic development,” Lin said.

Lin said that ties between Taiwan and China are not country-to-country relations, but the DPP has always argued that China should be treated in the same manner as other countries when it comes to negotiations, treaties and agreements.