Trade pact to benefit all sides: TAO

The Chinese mainland Wednesday reiterated that economic cooperation with Taiwan will benefit people on both sides, but especially Taiwan residents.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) of the State Council, said in response to the ongoing protests in Taiwan against the cross-Straits service trade agreement that all should cherish and protect the current level of economic cooperation.

Zhu Songling, professor of Taiwan studies with the Beijing Union University, told the Global Times Wednesday that the statement from the Taiwan affairs office shows restraint on the part of the mainland.

"The protesters are against the procedure of presenting the agreement, not the content," Zhu said.

"The students consider the negotiation as having been done behind closed doors, but I don't think they understand the rules of a negotiation."

On Wednesday morning, representatives of seven unions in Taiwan announced their support for the agreement, the Fujian-based Strait Herald reported. Union leaders hope the agreement can be put into force as soon as possible and increase jobs and incomes for Taiwan workers.

Qiu Yi, a representative of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT), told the Global Times Wednesday that the majority of people in Taiwan are eager to implement the agreement but are too busy to voice their support.

On the other hand, he said, the "Legislative Yuan" was occupied by students who have no idea of the content of the agreement, and the media is being partisan in reporting the issue.

Qiu alleged that members of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had encouraged demonstrators.

"DPP staffers were renting buses to transfer students from all over Taiwan to Taipei to join the protest," Qiu said.

Students opposing the swift enactment of the deal have occupied the "Legislative Yuan" since March 18, with the demonstration continuing Wednesday despite concessions to their demands given by the KMT.

Xu Shiquan, deputy director of the National Society of Taiwan Studies in Beijing, told the Global Times Wednesday that the agreement represents the goodwill of the mainland and will benefit Taiwan's economy more than its own.

The students and the opposition parties behind them are "hijacking" the interests of both mainland and Taiwan people for private interests, said Xu, noting that the mainland is negotiating a similar free trade agreement with Japan and South Korea.

Lee Chia-fei, spokesperson of Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou, reiterated on Wednesday that Ma is willing to hold dialogue with students on the service agreement, the Taiwan-based United Daily News reported.

DPP spokesperson Chang Dun-han said his party respects the decisions of the protesting students.

Ma Xiaoguang also said the reason for the dispute needs to be found within Taiwan and stressed that "we do not want the economic cooperation to be affected." He also advised the DPP to shed its principle of opposing mainland-related matters unconditionally.

Zhu said the dispute over the service agreement in Taiwan is not about the clauses of the agreement, but reflects local political conflicts.

"We have done what the mainland should have done, it's up to the administrative and legislative bodies of Taiwan to resolve the matter," Zhu noted.