CRUCIAL AGREEMENT:As a trade in goods agreement could boost the employment rate, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said it does not want to slow down negotiations

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 07, 2016
By: Alison Hsiao  /  Staff reporter

Minister of Economic Affairs John Deng (鄧振中) denied that the consultation team the ministry sent to China yesterday to prepare for the next round of negotiations over a possible cross-strait trade in goods agreement went to China “sneakily,” as some have alleged.

At a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus news conference, Deng said the team dispatched by the ministry did not go to China in secret, nor was the meeting planned “in a black box.”

To the Democratic Progressive Party legislative caucus’ disapproval, who called for a suspension of related negotiations until after elections on Saturday next week, which are to produce lawmakers “representing new public opinion,” KMT caucus whip Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) said that since the new government would not be formed until May 20, it is laudable that the incumbent administration has not been slacking off due to the upcoming elections.

Lai also called on DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to clearly state her stance on the trade in goods agreement.

Deng said that because the agreement could greatly boost Taiwan’s employment rate, the ministry does not want to slow down the negotiations’ pace just because of the elections.     [FULL  STORY]