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Taiwan trade pact vital for growth
http://atimes.com/atimes/China_Business/CBIZ-01-240314.html
Taiwan trade pact vital for growth
By Dan Steinbock
Mar 24, '14
As Taipei was about to move ahead with its new service trade agreement with China, the island's legislature was occupied by demonstrators who oppose the deal. The stakes are high.
The governing party Kuomintang (KMT) supports the pact, which would lower barriers for both Taiwan and China to each other's service sectors. Previously, lawmakers had agreed to a detailed review of the pact.
On Monday, March 17, KMT lawmaker Chang Ching-chung announced that the trade agreement should be sent to the legislative floor in full. The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which claimed it had a deal with the KMT for an itemized review, protested the decision.
A day later, hundreds of students, who have opposed the pact since last fall, stormed Taiwan's legislative chambers and barricaded themselves inside. They oppose the KMT's efforts to approve a trade deal with China and seek a full review. On Saturday, the demonstrators said they would escalate their protests after President Ma Ying-jeou declined to meet with them.
