The government plans to take special measures for the service trade of Mainland China after Taiwan’s accession to the WTO

Source: Economic Daily News 11/15/2001
Translated by Joanne Lue

　Yesterday the Executive Yuan invited the relevant departments and assemblies to discuss issues about opening the market of service industry outwardly after Taiwan’s accession to the WTO.  Officials of the Economic Advisory Conference indicated that Cross-strait had not discussed issues about service trade, agriculture and industry before accession to the WTO.  In the future, Cross-strait should take relevant measures based on both parties’ conditions and security, etc. and in accordance with the general exceptional rules of GATS under the WTO structure.  Defense measure can be taken if there is any harm to social benefits. Agricultural and industrial products can be handled in accordance with security or special defense mechanism to exclude products of Mainland China or certain service trade from applying the most-favored nation treatment.

　The service trade of Mainland China to be launched to Taiwan includes finance, bank, insurance, futures, real estate, telecommunications, navigation, recognition of educational background in Mainland China, practitioners of Chinese medicine, investment by China capital, and setting-up of universities, etc. All the aforementioned matters are involved in the governing regulations and the Statute Governing Relations between Peoples of the Taiwan Area and Mainland Area. The Premier of Executive Yuan instructed Mainland Affairs Council that it should immediately present the overall evaluation project and enact the relevant governing regulations.