Fruit offensive politically driven, claims president

Chen says PRC offer an attempt to bolster opposition chances for victory in 2008 poll
2005-07-26 / Taiwan News, Staff Reporter / By Lu Chia-ying

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday accused China of dangling a "100 percent politically motivated" tariff-free policy for local fruit exports to woo local farmers away from the governing Democratic Progressive Party and help the pan-blue opposition win the 2008 presidential election.

Because Chen won the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections by garnering strong support in southern Taiwan, where many voters are engaged in agriculture, China felt it was imperative to gain the support of farmers there to help defeat the DPP, the president suggested in the harshest response he has given to date on fruit exports to China.

Therefore, Chen continued, Beijing began to aggressively promote agricultural exchanges with Taiwan during the visits to China by two opposition party chairmen--Lien Chan (連戰) of the largest opposition Kuomintang and James Soong (宋楚瑜) of the People First Party.

"Furthermore, it designated a group that is closely linked to the opposition as its counterpart for negotiations. The move was not only aimed at attracting our farmers in the south, but also tried to contribute to the success of the opposition parties," Chen said while addressing a group of officials representing farmers' and fishermen's associations.

China has invited the non-governmental Taiwan Provincial Farmers Association for talks on fruit exports. The leaders of the TPFA are mostly KMT partisans, and the association has traditionally played a major role in supporting the party in local elections.

"This is 100 percent politically motivated, a full-fledged war to attain the goal of unification (with Taiwan)," the president declared.

He insisted that China's proposal, which would eliminate import duties on 15 categories of fruit exported from Taiwan, would not benefit local farmers, a proposition he claimed that anybody with political sense would understand.

"Nevertheless, there are some people who repeatedly say that selling produce to China is the only way for Taiwan's (agriculture) to survive," Chen said.

If the government held a different view or responded coolly to their opinions, it would also be accused of disregarding the farmers' well being, he claimed.

The government has never opposed or blocked local fruit or produce exports to China, the president said, but he contended the potential sales volume was low and offered only limited margins to local farmers.

Chen also echoed the DPP's common theme that negotiations over technical details such as tariff, quarantine, and customs clearance or product inspection would require government involvement. The president said individuals should not abandon the government simply for the pursuit of money.

Chen went on to remind Taiwan's people that China does not have a liberal economy and lacks democracy and law and order.

"The Chinese market is full of different kinds of risks. Therefore, we must assign a professional group to cope with the task of exporting farm products in order to safeguard farmers' interests as well as national security," Chen noted.

The government has commissioned the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) to advance the agricultural exchanges because of its specialized knowledge of trade issues and negotiating experience, Chen remarked.