Ma wants FTA with Japan
Agence France Presse | Feb 4, 2010
Ma wants FTA with Japan
TAIPEI — TAIWAN’S President Ma Ying-jeou on Thursday expressed his wish to strike a free trade agreement (FTA) with Japan to further boost trade ties.
’The government wants to discuss FTA matters with Japan as currently Japan is Taiwan’s second largest trading partner (after China),’ Mr Ma told Tokyo’s de facto ambassador to the island, Mr Tadashi Imai.
’It would benefit both the business sector and the public if the two sides could strengthen trade and economic ties. This should be our joint goal,’ he said. Japan, like most countries, officially recognises Beijing instead of Taipei, but Taiwan maintains friendly relations with Japan despite being colonised by its northern neighbour between 1895 and 1945.
Taiwan has assured Japan it has nothing to fear over the island’s warming ties with China, which it split from in 1949 after a civil war. ’Improving ties with China is a positive development for Japan, Korea and other South-east Asian countries ... we hope the Japanese government and people will understand,’ Mr Ma said.
The Japanese chamber of commerce in Taipei has also called for an FTA and supported Taiwan’s plan to sign a similar pact with China, saying it could benefit Japanese businesses on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan hopes to sign the pact, known as the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, with Beijing around May to lift economic growth and boost employment.
