By Martin Banks - 11th August 2010
Taiwan has a high degree of willingness to clinch FTAs with its major trade partners
David Lin
Taiwan's top envoy to the EU and Belgium has called for a free trade agreement (FTA) between his country and the EU, saying that the ground has already been laid with the recent signing of a trade pact with China.
In an exclusive interview with this website David Lin said Taiwan has a "deep sense" that its signing of an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China in late June has helped to create a foundation for FTAs with other countries.
"Taiwan has a high degree of willingness to clinch FTAs with its major trade partners, including the EU, the United States, Japan and the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)," Lin said.
However, he said the Taiwan government should first seek to remove the barriers to an FTA with the EU, adding that an annual two-way trade consultation conference will serve as a good platform to launch the initiative.
Lin, who only recently took up his new post, highlighted the significance of the ECFA, saying that it will help Taiwan turn into a major economic and trade hub in the Asia-Pacific region and presents "great business opportunities" for foreign investors.
A former Taiwanese deputy foreign minister, he said that Taiwan is "fully pushing" for a global investment promotion project and that he hopes the EU - Taiwan's largest source of foreign investment - will capitalise on the opportunities to invest more in Taiwan.
Lin also said that Taiwan should be allowed to join the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) as an observer and make a contribution to the world in that field.
The ICAO is scheduled to hold its triennial conference in Montreal, Canada in September.
Both the European parliament and the US House of Representatives have passed resolutions in support of Taiwan's efforts to gain observer status in the ICAO.
Meanwhile, Taiwan President Ma Ying-Jeou told a delegation of French parliamentarians that he hopes Europe will increase investment in Taiwan by taking advantage of Taiwan's new position under the economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) signed with China last month.
During a meeting with a group headed by Francois Brottes, chairperson of the France-Taiwan parliament friendship group, Ma expressed hope that the delegation would gain a better understanding of relations between Taiwan and China as well as Taiwan's new role in the economic region after the signing of the ECFA.
Despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations, Taiwan and France have maintained close ties in the areas of economy, culture, technology and tourism, Ma said.
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