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Taiwan Plans to Sign Cross-strait Investment Guarantee Agreement
The Taiwan "Ministry of Economic Affairs" has planned to list the concluding of an agreement on "Cross-strait investment guarantee" as a priority topic for discussion between China's mainland and Taiwan Province during the APEC foreign trade ministers conference to be held this June.
It's reported that an official with the "Ministry of Economic Affairs" stressed that from a long-term point of view, to keep Taiwan investment in the mainland from the influence of "non-economic factors", it must sign such an agreement, only by so doing is it possible to protect Taiwan investors' rights and interests in the mainland.
The "Ministry of Economic Affairs" points out that Taiwan has more than 30,000 businesses in operation in the mainland, and more than 200,000 Taiwanese merchants and their families working in the mainland as required by the circumstance of investment and trade. According to statistics, Taiwanese enterprises' investment in the mainland has topped US$25 billion, so protecting Taiwan investors' rights and interests brooks no delay.
The official also stressed that Taiwan had concluded investment guarantee concords with about 26 countries, and it's necessary to discuss and sign such an agreement as soon as possible with the mainland which had taken up 40 percent of Taiwan's total external investment. As to whether or not the agreement's scope of guarantee included the "non-economic" uncertainty, he indicated that all these questions could be discussed at future negotiations on the contents of the agreement.
The aforesaid "ministry" indicated that a mechanism for solving disputes shall be laid down in the agreement, so in case disputes of any sort arise, Taiwan authorities may get involved and claim for compensation, this is most useful in signing this concord.
By PD Online staff member Deng Gang
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