Taiwan Opposition Pushes for Free Trade Zones on Outlying Islands

REPORTER:  

Civic groups gather in Taipei to protest proposed changes to a law governing the development of Taiwan’s outlying islands.

They were put forward by opposition Kuomintang lawmaker Chen Yu-jen. She represents the Jinmen islands, which sit just off the Chinese coast.

The amended bill would allow outlying islands to set up “free trade pilot zones” and authorize local authorities to manage them.

But the proposal has sparked national security concerns from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

Chen Yu-jen's constituency in Kinmen could end up becoming a special economic zone tied to China’s Fujian Province, allowing China to economically penetrate Taiwan and pose a military threat to Taiwan.

The DPP says the changes are being presented as benefiting “offshore islands” in general, but that it’s really only aimed at Kinmen and nearby Matsu.

And civic groups here say shifting approval power for development projects to local authorities could allow Beijing to push them for more favorable terms.

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which handles cross-strait matters, says outlying islands do not receive any special treatment when it comes to exchanges with China.

While outlying islands do have their unique circumstances, they are still an integral part of the Republic of China [Taiwan]. So it’s not possible to single out Kinmen, Matsu or Penghu and create a loophole just for them.

But Chen Yu-jen says that when facing China, the DPP has no real solutions. She argues the changes she’s proposed will do.

Mainland China is there. Its economic activities are right there. It’s geographically very close to us. Many issues need to be faced head on and resolved.

The amendments have been in a one-month negotiation freeze, and are among several contentious bills under dispute in the legislature. But with that freeze ending, reports say they could be passed this week.