Lai Cheng-yi, Honorary Chairman of the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce, urged the government not to sacrifice industrial opportunities for political interests.
According to reports from Taiwanese media, the Taiwan Business Association held a press conference on the 20th to share the industry’s views on the mainland’s recent preferential measures toward Taiwan. The event was interpreted as Beijing putting pressure on Taiwan’s industrial sector.
Lai stated that cross-strait economic and civilian exchanges have existed for decades, but tourism and business exchanges have been interrupted by policy for as long as seven years, severely impacting Taiwan’s tourism, retail, catering, and agriculture & fishing industries, affecting as many as 2 to 3 million people.
He stressed that striving for a favorable business environment is the duty of business organizations, and called on government officials to prioritize people’s livelihoods, rather than sacrificing industrial opportunities for political interests.
After the chairwoman of Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang, Lai Li-wen, met with Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping last week, the mainland announced 10 Taiwan-related measures. On the 20th, the Taiwan Business Association invited seven major industrial associations—including those in travel, pastries, fruits, etc.—to exchange views on these measures.
Mainland Affairs Council Urges Industry to Stand With Government
The previous day, the Mainland Affairs Council once again called on the business community to refuse to be used as a tool to pressure the government, to stand with the government, and jointly urge the other side to stop political manipulation and begin negotiations with the Taiwanese government as soon as possible.
The Mainland Affairs Council stated that, in view of the fact that the 10 measures introduced by mainland China have “politicized, instrumentalized, and weaponized” what should be purely economic and trade exchanges—and since most measures in the past have been subject to political manipulation, sometimes opened and sometimes banned—the government naturally has the responsibility to ensure that Taiwan’s economy and industry do not fall into structural risks, and to prevent cross-strait economic and trade measures from becoming tools for united front tactics, political manipulation, or election interference.
Lai stated that cross-strait economic and civilian exchanges have existed for decades, but tourism and business exchanges have been interrupted by policy for as long as seven years, severely impacting Taiwan’s tourism, retail, catering, and agriculture & fishing industries, affecting as many as 2 to 3 million people.
He stressed that striving for a favorable business environment is the duty of business organizations, and called on government officials to prioritize people’s livelihoods, rather than sacrificing industrial opportunities for political interests.
After the chairwoman of Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang, Lai Li-wen, met with Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping last week, the mainland announced 10 Taiwan-related measures. On the 20th, the Taiwan Business Association invited seven major industrial associations—including those in travel, pastries, fruits, etc.—to exchange views on these measures.
Mainland Affairs Council Urges Industry to Stand With Government
The previous day, the Mainland Affairs Council once again called on the business community to refuse to be used as a tool to pressure the government, to stand with the government, and jointly urge the other side to stop political manipulation and begin negotiations with the Taiwanese government as soon as possible.
The Mainland Affairs Council stated that, in view of the fact that the 10 measures introduced by mainland China have “politicized, instrumentalized, and weaponized” what should be purely economic and trade exchanges—and since most measures in the past have been subject to political manipulation, sometimes opened and sometimes banned—the government naturally has the responsibility to ensure that Taiwan’s economy and industry do not fall into structural risks, and to prevent cross-strait economic and trade measures from becoming tools for united front tactics, political manipulation, or election interference.