China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
July 6, 2016
Executive Summary: The global economic situation is grim. Taiwan's exports have plummeted. Its economy remains troubled. The new government does nothing but complain. It does nothing to address the problem. The public remains under a dark cloud. Even a one percent growth rate is unlikely. The Liberty Times should be happy. After all, the economy is in dire straits. The new government is deadlocked on cross-Strait exchanges. Taiwan companies that "don't love Taiwan" are leaving in droves. Isn't that what the Liberty Times has wanted all these years?
Full Text Below:
The Liberty Times has long held high the banner of "Loving Taiwan". It has opposed anything and everything that links Taiwan to the Mainland. It has exaggerated the impact of cross-Strait economic cooperation on local industry. It has brainwashed the public into fearing cross-Strait exchanges. It has demonized fellow Chinese on the other side of the Strait. It has incited mob sentiment on both sides of the Strait. It has poormouthed the fruits of cross-Strait exchanges. It has made every effort possible to end all contact between the two sides. Over the past eight years, it has opposed any and every Ma government cross-Strait liberalization measure to the bitter end.
Today the paper continues to mislead the public. For example, it claims that Taiwan's economic difficulties are due to excessive reliance on the Mainland, and that excessive reliance on the Mainland was the handiwork of the Ma government. It claims that profits from cross-Strait trade have been monopolized by a small number of pro-Mainland businessmen, who have exacerbated the wealth gap and social divisions. It claims that price equalization and closer cross-Strait trade have dragged salary levels on Taiwan down to the level of the Mainland. It claims that allowing Mainlanders to own land on Taiwan will enable them to gobble up Taiwan's industries. It claims that allowing Taiwan companies to invest on the Mainland will lead to the offshoring of Taiwan technology, finance, human resources, and employment opportunities. In fact, all of the Liberty Times' wild allegations are nothing more than attempts to prevent people on Taiwan from having any connection whatsoever with their compatriots the Mainland.
Whenever the Liberty Times latches on to certain policy issues, it piles on relentlessly. For example, it attacks, smears, and defames anyone who supports the ECFA Service Trade Agreement (STA). From the beginning of talks to the signing of the agreement, the paper published a total of 4,000 articles. The paper published nearly 700 articles last year inciting fear of the “red supply chain”. The paper is a willing accomplice of the DPP. Buttressed by a massive media campaign to manipulate public opinion, the DPP successfully blocked the STA, FEPZ, and any further opening of Taiwan to Mainland industry. The impact on Taiwan's economy has been devastating.
Once the new government came to power, the paper played an even more active role. It made an even greater effort to obstruct anything that linked Taiwan to the Mainland. For example, it opposed Mainland ownership of our IC industry, even as it trumpeted the "New Southern Strategy". As everyone knows, such moves will finish off Taiwan's economy, which is already in its death throes.
Economic development, including industrial development, requires market opportunities, a competitive production capacity, and a business environment that allows companies to adopt the best business models possible. The Liberty Times however, under the new government's direction, is demanding Taiwan's withdrawal from the world's largest market and production base. It is attempting to push it into secondary markets and other high-risk areas. It is attempting to drive Taiwan away from the Mainland, where it enjoys a relatively advantageous position, to environments where it enjoys no advantages. The Liberty Times and the new government are disconnecting Taiwan from the global value chain, and undermining Taiwan's economic integration in the region. Businesses are being compelled by the new government to operate in total violation of the principles of economics. They are losing their competitiveness. They are being forced to flee or face ruin.
The Liberty Times has long misled the public into thinking that the Mainland economy is in dire straits, and that its investment environment is on the decline. Beginning in 2012, the Mainland economy went from high growth to medium high-growth. Nevertheless, as the world's second largest economy, it enjoys a relatively high growth rate. It contributes 30 to 40% of the world's economic growth. It ranks first in the world in foreign direct investment. Mainland GDP is four times that of the 10 ASEAN countries combined, and five times that of India. In 2014 the Mainland economy's incremental growth rate was 62 times that of ASEAN, and five times that of India. In other words, the immense business opportunities on the Mainland are the main reason for multinational company investment.
When Chen Shui-bian was in power, Taiwan companies invested heavily on the Mainland. Taiwan's investments on the Mainland led exports. Exports led economic growth. This was when Taiwan's economy invested heavily on the Mainland. Today, the Liberty Times has actually urged the new government to restrict cross-Strait economic and trade relations. It argues that Taiwan should turn to ASEAN, India, and other places, leaving tens of thousands of Taiwan businessmen on the Mainland stranded and without support. By doing so, it is ensuring Taiwan's economic disintegration.
Taiwan has an island-based economy. Its economic growth depends on exports. Export depend upon membership in global value chains. Regional economic integration provides a platform for integration into global value chains. It expands the size of the market economy. It enables companies to adopt the best business models, and make the most of what they have. The STA has been blocked by the Liberty Times and the DPP. FTA signings with other countries have ground to a halt. The paper is now screaming that Taiwan must join the TPP. Participation in large scale regional integration for Taiwan is now even more hopeless. In the future Taiwan will find itself shut out of global value chains.
The global economic situation is grim. Taiwan's exports have plummeted. Its economy remains troubled. The new government does nothing but complain. It does nothing to address the problem. The public remains under a dark cloud. Even a one percent growth rate is unlikely. The Liberty Times should be happy. After all, the economy is in dire straits. The new government is deadlocked on cross-Strait exchanges. Taiwan companies that "don't love Taiwan" are leaving in droves. Isn't that what the Liberty Times has wanted all these years?
仇中反開放正裂解台灣經濟
2016/7/6 中國時報
長期以來《自由時報》高舉「愛台灣」口號，逢中必反、誇大兩岸經濟合作對本土產業的衝擊、製造民間社會對兩岸交流的恐懼、醜化對岸、激化兩岸民粹對立、抹殺兩岸交流成果，意圖砍斷兩岸所有往來。過去8年對馬政府任何有關兩岸開放措施，無一不反對到底。
現在該報仍持續扭曲訊息誤導人民，例如：台灣的經濟困境是因過度傾中，向大陸傾斜是馬政府造成的；兩岸經貿紅利僅由少數紅頂商人壟斷，加劇貧富差距與社會矛盾；在要素價格均等化下，兩岸經貿越緊密，台灣的薪資水準越會被大陸拖累；開放陸資來台，台灣產業會被吃掉，開放產業到大陸投資，技術、資金、人才、就業機會都會外移。凡此種種，無非就是要遂行其對大陸防堵的主張。
而某些政策議題一旦被該報鎖定，就以排山倒海之勢，持續加以抨擊、抹黑、謾罵，該報為了反對ECFA服貿協議，從該協議簽署至去年底，總計刊登了4千筆有關報導；為了製造對紅色供應鏈的恐懼，該報去年下半年又持續推出近700筆文章。就在該報甘為民進黨側翼之下，挾著龐大媒體攻勢操弄民意，讓民進黨成功攔阻了ECFA服貿協議、「自由經濟示範區條例」、對大陸產業進一步開放等，對台灣經濟造成深遠衝擊。
新政府上台後，該報更加積極扮演反中側翼工具的角色，加大力度對大陸採取更嚴厲的防堵措施，例如反對陸資參股我方IC產業，另方面則協助鼓吹「新南向政策」作為配套手段。殊不知，此等作為猶如五馬分屍，正將已陷入泥淖的台灣經濟進行裂解。
經濟或產業發展不可或缺的條件，是市場機會和具競爭力的生產資源，以及優良的經商環境可讓企業作最佳布局。該媒體配合新政府政策方向，促使台灣從全球最主要的市場和生產基地撤離，企圖將之推入另一個次要市場和風險較高的地區，驅使台商從擁有相對優勢地位的據點轉進到沒有優勢條件的環境。此外，該報和新政府也正將台灣從全球價值鏈中消除掉，讓台灣在區域經濟整合中被邊緣化。而企業則在完全違反經濟運行原則的政治迫害下，競爭力流失，不是被迫出走就是走向敗亡。
長期以來，在《自由時報》操弄下，誤導人民以為大陸的經濟遭遇困境、投資環境惡化。事實上從2012年開始，大陸經濟雖然從高度成長轉為中高成長，但以其為全球第2大經濟體、相對較高的成長率，帶動世界經濟成長的貢獻率均達30～40%，外國直接投資居全球第1位。就GDP言，大陸是東協10國的4倍、印度的5倍；2014年大陸經濟成長的增量是東協的62倍、印度的5倍。換言之，大陸的龐大商機仍是吸引跨國企業前往投資的主因。
陳水扁執政時，台商大舉投資大陸，以投資帶動台灣出口，並以出口帶動經濟成長，所謂經濟傾中於此時開始。今日該報竟催促新政府緊縮兩岸經貿關係，要台商轉往東協、印度等地，留下十多萬台商在大陸孤立無援，不就是要崩毀台灣經濟的未來。
台灣是海島型經濟體，經濟成長靠出口，出口依賴加入全球價值鏈，加入區域經濟整合則提供了融入全球價值鏈的平台，不僅擴大經濟體的市場規模，更讓企業將最佳營運模式發揮到淋漓盡致。《兩岸服貿協議》被《自由時報》和民進黨等攔阻後，對外洽簽自由貿易協定幾全停擺，該報高喊台灣應優先加入TPP大型區域整合更是緣木求魚，未來台灣將自絕於全球價值鏈之外。
全球經濟情勢嚴峻，台灣出口連黑，經濟重挫，新政府坐困愁城，拿不出有效因應作為，全民籠罩在經濟成長保1的低迷氣氛，最高興的應數《自由時報》，因為經濟陷入困境、新政府對兩岸僵局束手無策，逼迫「不愛台灣」的企業離開台灣，這不就是該報多年來所追求的目標嗎？
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