China trade concerns 結果共10筆

Explore how TikTok’s growing popularity in the U.S. has raised national security concerns, including trade reciprocity, propaganda, and user surveillance, as national security expert Jacob Helberg discussed.

In a significant meeting in Washington, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized their united stance on peace in the Taiwan Strait and addressed concerns over China’s trade practices. The discussion also covered the AUKUS security partnership’s role in the Indo-Pacific and the upcoming talks between Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and U.S. President Joe Biden, focusing on military and technological cooperation.

President Tsai Ing-wen criticizes China’s one-sided trade barriers and emphasizes that bilateral trade relations should not be used as a political tool in her New Year’s address. The tariff preference for certain products under the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) has been suspended as of Jan. 1, 2024. Tsai notes China’s intervention in elections and expresses confidence in the people of Taiwan to make wise decisions. She argues that Taiwan’s industries already have global exposure and are gradually reducing reliance on China. Tsai believes that while the economic benefits of the ECFA are limited, diversifying risks and global positioning are important for Taiwan’s industries. She highlights that China often imposes unilateral trade barriers on other countries for political reasons, citing examples of punitive tariffs and import bans on Lithuania and Australia due to their friendly relationship with Taiwan and criticism of China’s human rights policy in Xinjiang.

Deputy Trade Representative Yang Jen-ni of Taiwan’s Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) criticized China’s recent trade barriers against Taiwan, highlighting four major concerns. Yang pointed out that China’s investigation process is biased, unfair, nontransparent, and not in line with international norms. Documents such as applications, comments, respondent summaries, and non-confidential data were undisclosed or restricted to foreigners. Additionally, Yang condemned China for bypassing the Taiwan government during the investigation, prioritizing political objectives over economic ones. She also accused China of misinterpreting trade policies and creating a false narrative that Taiwan is unwilling to address disputes. Lastly, Yang criticized China for producing inflated and unverifiable data in its impact assessment, without solid evidence to support its claims. Yang urged China to abandon its one-sided political manipulation and suggested initiating consultations through the World Trade Organization (WTO) mechanism to resolve trade disputes.

Taipei’s Presidential Office Secretary-General, Lin Chia-lung, has accused China of strategically timing the release of its trade barrier investigation results in order to influence Taiwan’s elections. Lin suggests that China’s actions, likened to ＂drawing a bow without releasing the arrow,＂ are aimed at instilling fear in Taiwanese voters and potentially affecting their economy. Lin also points out the coincidence between the recent visit of Kuomintang (KMT) Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia to China and the prompt release of the investigation’s findings. Lin raises concerns about the Chinese Communist Party’s interference in Taiwan’s elections, citing instances of borough wardens being invited on all-expenses-paid trips by China to exert influence. Reports indicate that Wang Huning, Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, convened a meeting in early December specifically to discuss interfering in Taiwan’s elections, suggesting a coordinated strategy from China targeting the electoral process in Taiwan.

A new poll by ETtoday reveals a tight race in the upcoming 2024 presidential election in Taiwan. The Democratic Progressive Party’s Lai-Hsiao ticket, consisting of Lai Ching-te and Hsiao Bi-khim, leads with 35.9% support, slightly ahead of the Kuomintang’s Hou-Jaw ticket, comprised of Hou Yu-ih and Jaw Shaw-kong, at 34.7%. The Taiwan People’s Party’s Ko-Wu ticket, featuring Ko Wen-je and Cynthia Wu, trails behind with 19.6% support. Despite the close percentages, 44.3% of the public expresses confidence in the Lai-Hsiao ticket’s ability to win, compared to 30.1% for Hou-Jaw and 13.8% for Ko-Wu. Conversely, 40.5% of voters are certain they will not vote for Lai-Hsiao, while 27.3% reject Hou-Jaw and 20.6% turn away from Ko-Wu. In terms of non-constituency legislators, the KMT leads with 35% support, followed by the DPP with 31.3% and the TPP at 14.5%. The poll highlights public concern over Taiwan’s economic ties with China, particularly due to recent trade restrictions viewed as trade barriers and the suspension of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) measures. Additionally, 47.1% of respondents worry that a Lai Ching-te presidency could worsen cross-strait economic and people-to-people exchanges, while 16.4% hold the same concern for Hou Yu-ih and 11.6% for Ko Wen-je. The poll, conducted from December 18 to 19, surveyed 1,224 respondents with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8%. Compared to the previous poll from December 14 to 15, support for the Lai-Hsiao ticket dropped by 2.6 percentage points, while the Hou-Jaw ticket saw a minor decline of 0.4 percentage points, and the Ko-Wu ticket remained unchanged. The number of undecided voters increased to 9.8%, indicating the undecided nature of the electorate ahead of the presidential vote.

DPP presidential candidate Lai Ching-te criticizes KMT rival Hou Yu-ih for advocating the employment of Chinese students in Taiwan, claiming it would take away job opportunities from Taiwanese youths. Lai expresses concerns about the impact of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA) with China, stating that it allows Chinese nationals to compete with local vendors in the service industry. The crowd fears that increased competition from Chinese workers could harm their businesses and livelihoods. Lai emphasizes President Tsai Ing-wen’s efforts to reduce reliance on the Chinese market and highlights China’s high youth unemployment rate, cautioning that opening borders to students from China could worsen job scarcity for young people in Taiwan.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that he would revoke current President Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) if he wins the 2024 presidential election. Trump argues that the IPEF could negatively impact the American manufacturing industry and lead to increased unemployment rates. The U.S. previously withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) due to similar concerns. Negotiations for Biden’s IPEF began in September 2022, with a focus on major southern powers like India and Indonesia, aiming to promote economic cooperation and exclude China. The IPEF includes countries such as Australia, Singapore, Japan, and 10 other Indo-Pacific nations, constituting about 40% of the global GDP. It emphasizes fair and resilient trade, supply chain resilience, and clean energy. Taiwan’s chief trade negotiator expressed the country’s interest in monitoring the IPEF’s development and presenting a proposal for Taiwan’s inclusion at the appropriate time. President Tsai Ing-wen has also expressed Taiwan’s desire to join the IPEF, believing it would create more business opportunities for Taiwanese and U.S. companies.

Taiwan’s Minister of Economic Affairs emphasizes the importance of key tech industries to the country’s economy and the need to protect them from corporate espionage. The high-tech sector in Taiwan has attracted attention from mainland China, resulting in the headhunting of Taiwanese tech talent. In response, Taiwan amended its National Security Act to impose stricter penalties for theft of business secrets. Additionally, Taiwan’s industrial production index has declined for 16 months, but there are signs of increased demand in the AI industry chain. Despite uncertainties in consumer behavior and global economic recovery, industry feedback suggests potential growth in future quarters.

Taiwan’s Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng comments on South Korea’s ongoing legal investigation into several marine tech firms involved in Taiwan’s navy submarine project. The probe poses questions about trade laws and raises concerns about regional security and potential economic retaliation from China.