Taiwan has already given many concessions to the USA on a number of trade issues.
But Charles Freeman, a new acting assistant U.S. trade representative, wants even more concessions on the following.
Intellectual property rights. Hello, Taiwan has been cracking down on bootleg production for the past 2 years, ever since its admittance into the WTO.
U.S. demand is for U.S. drug companies to have better access to the Taiwanese market. Hello, Europe makes the same drugs for cheaper and we also have a domestic drug industry.
3)The island also needs to create an agricultural import system that opens up the market more to U.S. rice farmers. Hello, American rice sucks. Its mostly long grain and not sticky. What do you think Taiwanese farmers are growing…beatle nuts.
I read your post and the article. Where’s the bullying? I don’t see it. I don’t necessarily disbelieve your contention but you are going to have to provide more evidence.
You’re going to have to do better with the spreading of FUD. Suggest you learn from some past masters like Wolf Mittler, Dr. Richard Kupsch, Francis Stuart, William Joyce, Fred Kaltenbach, Mildred Gillars, Ezra Pound, Kurt Schwedler, Robert H. Best, Douglas Chandler, Foumy Saisho, Ruth Hayakawa, Myrtle Lipton, Trinh Thi Ngo, Van Tung…
Hello, you can go down to Guanghwa market in TPE and still buy lots of bootleg software.
Hello, you can go down to a nightmarket and still buy lots of bootleg movies.
Hello, hundreds, if not thousands of companies in Taiwan still use illegal software.
Hello, I agree with the bit about the drug companies, except I hate it when Taiwan drug companies steal Western pharmaceutical secrets.
Hello, the rice thing is just an excuse. Like when farmers here said that Taiwan milk was cleaner than New Zealand. I’ve heard my fair share of BS in my time, but that takes the cake. Open the markets, then let the public decide. Hello, if U.S. rice dosn’t sell here, then you can sit back and laugh and laugh and laugh at U.S. trade honchos and rice farmers.
Hello, aren’t you American? That would make you a bullly too. I love how Chinese-Americans are Americans when they are being picked on in the States, but when the U.S. acts up, they suddenly become foreigners. How convenient.
[quote=“Flicka”]Hello, if U.S. rice dosn’t sell here, then you can sit back and laugh and laugh and laugh at U.S. trade honchos and rice farmers.
[/quote]Like the fiasco with the turkey parts
[quote]Hello, aren’t you American? That would make you a bullly too. I love how Chinese-Americans are Americans when they are being picked on in the States, but when the U.S. acts up, they suddenly become foreigners. How convenient.[/quote]
Chinese people are in this sense true liberals, able to hold opposing views with equal conviction.
[quote=“ac_squealer”]1) Intellectual property rights. Hello, Taiwan has been cracking down on bootleg production for the past 2 years, ever since its admittance into the WTO.
[/quote]
Significant progress has been made in this area, perhaps to the point where Taiwan may soon be taken off the Super 301 watch list. However, to say that the job is done is simply absurd. IP piracy is still rampant, but at least the government here has made some progress, unlike those ChiCom bullies you love so much.
I don’t know what the current situation is regarding U.S. drugs. However, if there are any barriers inconsistant with Taiwan’s WTO committments, then Taiwan should remove them in all due haste.
Taiwan needs to open up its markets in accord with its WTO committments. At least Taiwan is earnestly trying to do this and talks with the US in these areas are generally amicable. China stalls and pleads as much as it can, and they still ignore their committments.
Taiwan wants to resume FTA talks with the United States. The US government has legitimate concerns before FTA talks continue.
Of course, if Taiwan doesn’t want to sign an FTA treaty with the US, it is free to risk WTO sanctions, but since Taiwan badly wants an FTA arrangement with the US, the US holds most of the cards.
You guys don’t get it. I’ve always been about the best interest of Taiwan, especially economics point of view. Statelessness allows us some economic protection from the PRC by keeping key sectors out of competition from larger companies and foriegn investors of PRC.
Even with the 3 links, we could keep these markets protected while entering the PRC market.
However, these same protections are not use to protect Taiwan various markets from USA pressure to dump stuff into Taiwan. Especially the USA subsidized argiculture market.
Rice and drug are insulated industries. So is milk and beef products. Taiwanese farmers have no chance to compete against larger companies in a true “open market.” It is the responsibility of the government to protect these industry in Taiwan so people can feed their families.
Unlike most people on this board I don’t share the simplistic “Commie” bad, “KMT” bad, “USA” good, and “Green” good views.
Then at the earliest possible convenience, please pay a visit to the AIT or any other US consular post and swear before a US Consular Officer that you renounce your US citizenship.
I know your stupid and you know your stupid, so I’ll hold your hand and walk you through this very slowly.
ROC and PRC are not in the same situation economically. PRC can compete against USA subsidized industry because of their unique market and unique arrangment with the WTO.
In fact PRC has enough clout to re-neg a viagra patent. ROC doesn’t have the same infrastructure nor leverage with multinational companies.
And why is not my dual citizenship in the best interest of ROC? I know this is such a tough question for you. Citizenship could be independent of political views or interest of what may benefit ROC. It could even be independent of love interest, as many forumosa memebers have proven. Oh so tough for a simpleton like you to comprehend. PRC must be evil in your opinion. Cannot compute…cannot compute…while living the good life in HK PRC. Cannot compute…cannot compute.
Hmm, I guess you’ve only had Uncle Ben’s and Rice-A-Roni. California produces large amounts of short grain rice called Calrose that’s very similiar to Japanese rice. It’s a lot better than some of the Taiwanese rice I’ve had. It’s pretty popular in California.
[quote=“ac_dropout”]You guys don’t get it. I’ve always been about the best interest of Taiwan, blah blah…
Rice and drug are insulated industries. So is milk and beef products. Taiwanese farmers have no chance to compete against larger companies in a true “open market.” It is the responsibility of the government to protect these industry in Taiwan so people can feed their families.
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AC, you clearly know nothing about rice farmers and their problems with the government. The poverty in most areas of rural Taiwan does not stem from being unable to sell rice because of overbearing US trade policies, but rather restrictive zoning by the ROC that prevents farmers from developing their property. :fume:
Even if there are local restriction on rice cultivation, somehow flooding the Taiwan market with USA subsidized rice is going to help the local farmer compete and make a living?
I am a local farmer - and yes rezoning my paddy would allow me to develop the land and improve my standard of living. At half current market value of 50K/ping, the sale would enrich my wallet to the tune of NT$50m. I don’t give a toss about foreign competition, even before entry to the WTO, I barely covered expenses walking around in the hot, snake- invested swamp.
I have some farmland as well. But I would feel kind of bad kicking off the farmers that have been there for generations, just to enrich myself. It’s not like they can just move to Taipei and get white-collar jobs. I’m talking about protecting these people livelihoods.
[quote=“ac_dropout”]
I have some farmland as well. But I would feel kind of bad kicking off the farmers that have been there for generations, just to enrich myself. It’s not like they can just move to Taipei and get white-collar jobs. I’m talking about protecting these people livelihoods.[/quote]
As I mentioned in my previous post, there is no livelihood to protect. If really cared about these people you should suggest they apply for low-interest government loans to convert the paddy into a platform to produce organic vegetables.
