Grappling With ‘China Policy’ at Home, Taiwan Keen on FTA with India

choi

Pradip K Bagchi, Grappling With ‘China Policy’ at Home, Taiwan Keen on FTA with India, Other nations. The Times of India, Nov 17, 2014.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Grappling-with-China-Policy-at-home-Taiwan-keen-on-FTA-with-India-other-nations/articleshow/45171977.cms

Quote:

"Struggling to forge a domestic consensus on its outreach to Beijing for strengthening economic ties and days after China and South Korea signed on the outlines of a free trade agreement (FTA), Taiwan is keen on fast-tracking such trade pacts with India and other nations, particularly those in the Asia-Pacific region.

"'We have been trying for an FTA with India since 2009 * * * ,' said Michael Tseng, deputy chief negotiator in Taiwan's ministry of economic affairs 經濟部 經貿談判代表辦公室 副總談判代表 曾永光.

"India has so far been cautious in response to Taipei's overtures lest it ruffles feathers in Beijing. 'We hope the new government in India will be more assertive * * * ,' said Vanessa SHIH 史亞平, Taiwan's vice minister for foreign affairs 外交部常務次長, when asked about the shadow of Sino-Indian diplomacy on New Delhi's ties with Taiwan.

"Taiwan's fresh initiative to increase its export footprint- Free Economic Pilot Zones (FEPZ) 自由經濟示範區- currently faces scrutiny in Parliament which is also debating the contentious 'Supervisory Act' 兩岸協議監督條例 put in place after the students' unrest [!] earlier this year. The 'Supervisory Act', is aimed at setting up institutional checks and balances for transparency while dealing with China.

"Taiwan hopes the FEPZ Act will be a springboard for it to eventually join the US-led Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Beijing-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). But China has so far shown little interest in Taiwan joining RCEP. 'The main reason seems to be political (two Chinas). But we have been trying to convince Beijing that our membership in TPP and RCEP is a purely trade issue,' said DR Chu-Chia Steve LIN 林祖嘉, deputy minister in Mainland Affairs Council 陸委會特任副主委.

My comment:
(a) There is no need to read the rest.

(b) 行政院大陸委員會
zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/行政院大陸委員會
(section 2 組織: 副主任委員（3人，1特任、2政務）)
(i) I have no idea what 特任 is. There wa no such term when I was in Taiwan (before 1984, that is).
(ii) 陸委會特任副主委 was 張顯耀 until Aug 17, 2014 when he resigned. Then 林祖嘉 was elevated from 陸委會任政務副主委 to 特任副主委.