China News Agency, Beijing, May 28th: Strengthening cross-strait economic and trade cooperation can help Taiwan's economy return to the right path
China News Agency reporter Rong Haisheng
Recently, the new crown pneumonia epidemic in Taiwan has continued to be serious. In the context of the DPP authorities still trying to "decouple" from the mainland's economy and stubbornly "relying on the United States to seek independence", the challenges facing Taiwan's economic development have become more severe.
Observers pointed out that the cross-strait economies are highly complementary, and strengthening economic and trade cooperation with the mainland will help Taiwan's economic development get out of the predicament and return to the right path.
Since the beginning of this year, there have been more than 1.7 million new local confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia in Taiwan, and the impact on economic development has gradually become apparent.
The economic affairs department of the Taiwan authorities recently announced that export orders fell sharply in April, and the annual growth rate dropped sharply from the double-digit growth in March to -5.5%. The proportion of the improvement in the economy decreased by 8 percentage points; the Taiwan authorities' "General Accounting Office" estimated on the 27th that Taiwan's GDP growth rate this year was significantly revised down by 0.51 percentage points from the previous estimate.
These statistics, surveys and forecasts all show that Taiwan's economic development is facing increasing challenges.
However, the DPP authorities did not seek solutions from the objective laws of economic development, but instead pursued a policy of "decoupling" from the mainland economy.
Since the DPP authorities came to power in 2016, they have advocated "decoupling" with the mainland in the economic field, strictly scrutinized the "landing" of Taiwanese businessmen, set up various obstacles for mainland investors to go to Taiwan, and repeatedly smeared the mainland's policy of benefiting Taiwanese businessmen.
Recently, Taiwan's legislature also passed amendments to the so-called "Security Law", proposing that no one should "infringe" Taiwan's "core key technologies" for the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, and must not intend to use Taiwan's "core and key technology business secrets" in the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau. Otherwise, the maximum penalty is 12 years in prison and a fine of NT$100 million; and in conjunction with the amendment to the "Regulations on Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Strait", on the grounds of "protecting key technologies and deterring land-based capital poaching", it proposed to involve Taiwan's "core key technologies". "Those who go to the mainland without examination can be fined up to NT$10 million.
While interfering with cross-strait talent exchanges and hindering cross-strait economic and trade cooperation, the DPP authorities also attempted to join the US-led "Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)".
However, when the US announced the first batch of IPEF members, it did not include Taiwan.
Observers pointed out that the US's attempt to "contain China with Taiwan" does not really want to help Taiwan develop its economy.
The DPP authorities are willing to act as pawns, which will ultimately only damage the economy and the well-being of the people on the island.
The two sides of the strait are closely related by blood and geographically close, and their economic development is highly complementary.
The mainland has a large market and many opportunities, and Taiwan will benefit from strengthening cross-strait economic and trade cooperation.
Practice has also shown that cross-strait economic and trade cooperation cannot be cut off by human factors.
For example, despite the unfavorable factors such as the new crown epidemic last year, cross-strait trade and investment continued to grow overall.
According to the statistics of the General Administration of Customs, in 2021, the mainland's imports from and exports to Taiwan will increase significantly, making it the largest export market and the largest source of trade surplus in Taiwan.
Justin Yifu Lin, Dean of the Institute of New Structural Economics at Peking University, once pointed out that cooperation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will benefit both sides, while separation will result in two harms.
In the process of strengthening cooperation, the people of Taiwan will definitely benefit far more than the people of the mainland.
At present, the new crown epidemic continues to affect the global economy.
The mainland has successively launched a number of policies to promote economic development, including measures to benefit Taiwan compatriots and Taiwanese enterprises, constantly releasing goodwill and adding impetus to cross-strait economic and trade cooperation.
If people from all walks of life in Taiwan can seize the development opportunities in the mainland, they will gain tangible benefits, and the island's economy is expected to emerge from the haze of the epidemic soon.
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