The DPP is firmly opposed to ECFA, and its leaders have come out to encourage netizens to enhance their opposition. The party called for the heated exchange in a television debate between "President Ma Ying-jeou and the DPP Chairman Tsai Ing-wen. Moreover, DPP leaders have called for a "referendum" on the President's plan for a free trade agreement with Beijing, and aroused protests and demonstrations. However, the support rate of Taiwan islanders for ECFA has gone up.
ECFA is a pure economic deal. As a World Trade Organization (WTO) member, Taiwan has the right to directly negotiate a free trade agreement (FTA) with China. The free-trade deal will offer Taiwan companies tariff advantages in some 530 categories of goods for mainland export, and mainland enterprises will receive advantages in about 260 categories in the Taiwan market, earlier reports said. Hence, the freer flow of goods, personnel, capital and services between the two sides will benefit people across the Strait, and so this represents their great well-being as a matter of course.
Through efforts made to sign ECFA, both sides have witnessed the magnanimity, mutual understanding, sincerity and a halt to hostility and antagonism, and this would open up a new chapter in cross-strait relations and a booming scene alive with thousands of business people to come and go and more than 100 cargo vessels to ply to and fro across the strait.
The signing of ECFA with the Chinese mainland is the first step…. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go… Once the two sides have taken the first step, exchanges will become more frequent to facilitate cross-strait integration, and enable Taiwan firms to extend their reach worldwide. However, people have every reason to expect for a more splendid future in the cross-strait economic cooperation.
