Taiwan continues to struggle for its place in new Asia

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2012-12-02

China's minister of Commerce Chen Deming. (File photo/Xinhua)

Taiwan has been trying to struggle for its place in Asia while it has been gradually ignored during the diplomatic tug of war among China, Korea and Japan, our sister newspaper Want Daily reported on Nov. 30.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs signed a memorandum for industrial cooperation with Japanese counterparts on Nov. 29. While another agreement for electronic commerce between Taiwan and Japan is on the way, the ministry said that it will seek more potential connections, agreements and cooperation with Japan by signing more and more papers with the Japanese.

Under the memorandum that was just signed, wind power, solar power, electronic vehicles, the LED industry, hand tools, mechanic parts, electronic equipment, digital equipment, medicine, information technology and electronic commerce will be focused and highlighted. Electronic commerce, especially, has been highlighted for a further agreement as the next move between Taiwan and Japan.

Taiwan's Bureau of Foreign Trade said on Nov. 29 that China, Korea and Japan have decided to begin their talks over the potential free trade agreement early next year, so it will help speed up and finish the talks for the economic partnership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations members in 2015.

China's minister of Commerce Chen Deming said in public during the 18th National Congress that ASEAN will not accept any application for new member before the talks for the economic partnership are completed. His remarks were regarded that Taiwan will not have any chance to participate in ASEAN before 2015.　

References:

Chen Deming　　陳德銘