Politics

Cross-strait investment agreement to protect personal safety

• Publication Date：08/07/2012
• Source： Taiwan Today
• By  June Tsai

A cross-strait investment protection agreement soon to be signed is expected to include measures safeguarding the personal safety of Taiwan businessmen operating in mainland China, according to Taipei-based Straits Exchange Foundation Aug. 6.

The investment protection agreement, which failed to be finalized at the last two rounds of talks between the SEF and its Beijing counterpart the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, is high on the agenda for the Aug. 8-9 meeting in Taipei City.

Under the agreement, “if Taiwan investors, their employees or dependents are detained, mainland Chinese authorities are required to notify family members within 24 hours,” SEF spokesman Maa Shaw-chang said.

“Although it’s not in line with international practice to cover personal safety in an investment pact, our negotiating team managed to include the notification requirement,” he said. “Once the accord takes effect, the foundation will assist the government in overseeing implementation of this measure.”

Ma’s remarks came in response to calls from civic groups for a personal safety protection agreement covering all Taiwanese studying, traveling or working in mainland China.

Local groups, including Cross-Strait Agreement Watch, the Taiwan Association for Human Rights and Taiwan Labor Front, demanded that the accord clearly state that human rights, labor and environmental standards would not be lowered to promote investment and trade.

Protesting outside SEF headquarters Aug. 6, they called for the immediate release of Chung Ting-pang, a Hsinchu-based Taiwan businessman and Falun Gong practitioner who was arrested by mainland Chinese security agents June 18 on a charge of attempting to interfere with network broadcasts. He has reportedly been in detention since then.

“The arrest and detention violate international covenants on civil and political rights, so no talks should be held before Chung’s release,” CSAW Convener Lai Chung-chiang said.

The groups also demanded that the detention powers of mainland Chinese customs authorities be abolished in the agreement.

According to sources familiar with the matter, measures to protect personal safety will be included in a supplementary consensus document rather than in the main text of the investment protection agreement, to avoid a dispute over sovereignty. (THN)