Concerns over cross-Straits ties shadow Taiwan's election

RISK OF BEING SIDELINED

Business people are concerned about the stagnation of economic cooperation across the Taiwan Straits.

Guo Tai-chiang, chair of Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association, said it is not enough to maintain the status quo, specially in economic cooperation between the two sides.

"The industry wants the cooperation to go deeper," Guo said.

The uncertainty of cross-Straits policies is keeping business people on their toes, said Lai Cheng-I, chair of Shining Building Business Co. Ltd.

"We care the most about whether the two sides will continue trade agreement talks," he said.

Yin Chi-ming, chief executive of think tank "National Policy Foundation", warned in an article in Monday's Taipei-based Commercial Times that Taiwan may face the risk of being sidelined in global trade and economic cooperation if cross-Straits relations sour and talks about the follow-up agreements of the economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) fail.

With constructive and smooth cross-Straits economic cooperation, Taiwan firms are able to expand global business with the support of the mainland market and they should not give up this advantage, Yin said.

The mainland remained Taiwan's biggest trade partner in 2015 while the island had a trade surplus of $27 billion.