APRIL 2010
DEMOCRACY & PROGRESS
DPP holds conference on tackling
environmental challenges
On April 22, the DPP held a con-
ference titled “How to Face Tai-
wan’s Unavoidable Challenges -
the Next Wave of Environmental
Disasters” as part of the confer-
ence series organized by the DPP
to draft the Ten Year Policy
Manifesto, a policy document
that will highlight the DPP’s so-
lution to the challenges Taiwan
will face in the next ten years.
Below are the comments
made by DPP Chair Tsai Ing-wen
at the conference:
“Many people feel that Tai-
wanese politics is very short-
sighted, and environmental is-
sues particularly bring out the
negative effects of short-sighted
politics.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
DPP holds conference on
tackling environmental
challenges
- Pg. 1
DPP conducts public
opinion survey on ECFA
- Pg. 3
10 questions for
“It is characteristic of envi- President Ma Ying-jeou
ronmental issues that any actions on ECFA
that cause environmental damage - Pg. 4
are only evident after a couple of
years. Any educational or pre-
ventive measure to protect the
environment can only achieve Egyptian delegation
results after a period of time. visits DPP
This tells us that, first, we cannot
- Pg. 5
underestimate the long-term
damage that our actions cause.
Second, if we wait until the con-
sequences force us to take action,
I am afraid that humanity will
have already lost the opportunity
to seriously face this challenge.
“Taiwan should not keep to
this mentality over the long-term.
Only through a clear direction
and strong political leadership
... continued on the next page
PAGE 1

will humanity be able to resolve
the problem of climate change. If we want Tai-
wan to come out of this vicious circle, the solu-
tion is for political parties and politicians to get
rid of their short-sighted mentality and come up
with foresight and vision.
“I expect the DPP to not only stop contribut-
ing to this vicious cycle, but to become a
forward-looking political party that works with
the Taiwanese people to map out our future.
This task may not be resolved in one step, but it
is never too late. This is one of the reasons why
I have proposed for the DPP to develop the Ten
Year Policy Manifesto.
“As a subtropical island, more than other
countries, Taiwan faces rapid climate warming
and more serious environmental threats. Over
the next ten years we face unavoidable chal-
lenges such as the increase of turbulent weather
patterns, over-exploitation of vulnerable land,
few natural resources and steadily rising energy
prices.
“As a result, this is a critical moment where
we must examine the current development
plans and evaluate whether they are consistent
with the new trend of “Green Politics” and the
corresponding changes in the environment.
Furthermore, we must look into the lessons
taught by history to make adjustments based on
our past mistakes.
“Environmental issues also play a significant
role in ‘Generational Justice’. The strategy we
adopt now on climate change will affect the
livelihood of every generation and it may pro-
duce different results. As a main political party
in Taiwan, the DPP has taken as its own respon-
sibility to face this task. We believe in following
APRIL 2010
... continued "om the previous page
the trend of green politics and green growth en-
gaged in by developed nations. We believe that
energy and environmental politics must involve
every governmental department, and each im-
mediate and long-term plan for development
must be led by the public sector in a compre-
hensive paradigm shift to layout the green social
infrastructure that is needed to strengthen Tai-
wan’s international competitiveness and trans-
form itself in a green revival.
10 Year Policy Manifesto
Conference Series
April 11: Taiwan’s aging society
April 22: Taiwan’s environmental chal-
lenges
May 2: Taiwan’s internationalization - the
challenges of globalization
May 8: Taiwan’s economic challenges
“Of course, we must work together with the
private sector to strengthen the social forces in-
volved in environmental issues as well as
strengthen the supervision on the public sector.
Lastly, I would like to thank all the participants
of the conference today for their opinions and
insights. Thank you!”
PAGE 2

APRIL 2010

DPP conducts public opinion survey on ECFA

The DPP conducted a public opinion survey after in terms of independents, there were 57% who
the televised debate between President Ma Ying- said not to believe; and among pan-blue support-
jeou and DPP Chair Tsai Ing-wen on ECFA. ers, 66% said to believe while 31% said not to
believe.
Below is the summary of the survey results:
- On the impact of ECFA on Taiwan’s traditional
- Regarding the public’s understanding on the enterprises, 68.8% of the public said they didn’t
contents of ECFA, 75.5% of the public were un- believe the government is ready to respond,
clear and approximately 20.9% were clear. while 13.3% of the public said to believe that the
government was prepared to respond to the im-
- Up to 90.2% of the population said to believe pact. Among those who didn’t believe the gov-
that before the government signs ECFA, the gov- ernment was ready to respond to the damages to
ernment must clearly explain the contents in the Taiwan caused by ECFA, 59% of those who said
agreement. There was no distinction between not to believe were pan-blue supporters and 66%
pan-blue or pan-green supporters in this overall who said not to believe were independents.
consensus.
- 59.5% said to have watched or seen related
- Regarding President Ma Ying-jeou’s statement, news on yesterday’s Ma-Tsai ECFA debate.
“Both sides signing ECFA is the only solution for
Taiwan’s economic revival”, 59.9% of the public - Among those who watched the ECFA debate,
said to disagree, while 28.8% said to agree. In 40.2% said to think that Tsai Ing-wen was more
terms of pan-green supporters, 91% said to agree convincing and 39.9% said to think that President
and in terms of independents, 59% said to agree. Ma Ying-jeou was more convincing.
In terms of pan-blue supporters, 58% said to
agree and 37% said to disagree. - 56.6% said not to not believe in President Ma
Ying-jeou’s promise that, “Taiwan’s sovereignty
- On the statement, “Signing the ECFA agree- will be safeguarded while negotiating ECFA in
ment will increase economic growth by 1.7% and order to avoid Taiwan’s interests from being
create 270,000 job opportunities”, 60.6% of the damaged”, while 38.1% said to believe the prom-
public said they disagreed while 26% said to ise.
agree. In terms of pan-green supporters, 92% said
to agree; in terms of independents, 63% said to - Regarding Tsai Ing-wen’s standpoint that
agree; and in terms of pan-blue supporters, 52% “ECFA will bring a significant impact to Taiwan-
said to agree and 36% who said to disagree. ese industries and therefore we should even be
more careful as well as to suspend the current
- Regarding President Ma Ying-jeou’s promise signing of ECFA with China”, 60% said to agree
that, “During his term in office, the government with Tsai Ing-wen’s standpoint and 29.6% said
will not liberalize Chinese labor workers into they disagreed. Among those who agreed, 63.2%
Taiwan and will not increase the number of Chi- were independents who said to agree, and among
nese agricultural products into Taiwan”, 57.5% those who disagreed, 13.7% were independents
said to not believe this promise and 36.1% who who said to disagree.
said to believe. There were 93% of pan-green
supporters who said not to believe this statement;

PAGE 3
 APRIL 2010

10 questions for President Ma

Ying-jeou on ECFA

1. What guarantee can you give that white collar and ag-
DEMOCRACY &
ricultural workers from China won’t flood Taiwan? PROGRESS
2. What are the specific tariff benefits of ECFA? PUBLISHED BY:

3. Have you investigated possible vested interests of your Department of International

ECFA negotiators and their potential for harm to Taiwan? Affairs Democratic
Progressive Party
4. What guarantee can you give that signing ECFA would
not cause a 90% liberalization of Taiwan’s market, as 9F, No. 30, Pei-Ping East
demanded by WTO free trade principles and require- Road, Taipei, Taiwan
ments?
Tel: 886-2-2392-9989 ext. 306
5. Which Chinese agricultural products will flow into
Taiwan per liberalization and what are your plants for Fax: 886-2-2393-0342
trade adjustment policies for affected farmers?
Email: foreign@dpp.org.tw
6. How many people will be unemployed because of
ECFA? Website:
http://www.dpp.org.tw
7. What plan do you have to deal with WTO challenges
to ECFA?

DIRECTOR:
8. What will ECFA’s impact be in wealth disparity in
Taiwan? Bikhim Hsiao

9. Why the urgency to sign ECFA? DEPUTY DIRECTORS:

Huang Chih-ta
10. What concrete trade adjustment policies are there for Hsieh Huai-hui
affected industries?
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
Michael J. Fonte

EDITOR:
Ping-Ya Hsu

PAGE 4

Egyptian delegation visits DPP
Under the organization of the International Re-
publican Institute (IRI), a delegation of Egyptian
political parties visited the DPP on April 22 to
hold an exchange with DPP Chair Tsai Ing-wen.
The IRI is a Washington, D.C. based non-
profit organization that specializes in promoting
democracy worldwide by helping other coun-
tries to develop political parties, civic institu-
tions and good governance.
The Egyptian delegation to the DPP con-
sisted of legal and human rights activist and po-
litical leaders, including Margrit Azer Abd El-
malek Ibrahim and Khaled Abdel Hakim Osman
Aly Sorour of the Democratic Front Party of
Egypt; Abd Allah Helmy Mohamoud Atia She-
hata of the Reform and Development Party; and
Elsayed Bassiouni Elsayed Mohamed of the Al
Ghad Party. The Reform and Development Party
and the El Ghad Party are members of Liberal
International, the world’s largest association of
liberal political parties, of which the DPP is also
a member.
Besides taking a tour of the entire DPP head-
quarters, the delegation sat down with DPP
Chair Tsai to exchange information concerning
the political parties’ recent developments and
new activities. Prior to the visit at the DPP
headquarters, the Egyptian delegation also took
APRIL 2010
part in the DPP conference, “Taiwan’s Next Un-
avoidable Challenges”, which are part of the
conference series discussing ideas for the Ten
Year Political Manifesto.
After the 1981 assassination of Egyptian
president, Anwar Sadat, a state of emergency
was imposed, which allows the government to
curb civil liberties for political reasons. This
poses a challenge for Egyptian democracy advo-
cates trying to build strong institutions in order
to protect human rights. As Taiwan experienced
the longest Martial Law period in the world,
Chair Tsai gave the delegates background on the
DPP’s democratic struggles. Chair Tsai told of
how the DPP was involved in the transition to
democracy and finally achieving the people’s
support to becoming elected to government.
DPP Chair Tsai said she hoped that the DPP’s
experience would be of assistance to the Egyp-
tian delegation.
Political party diplomacy has been an impor-
tant, consistent task for the DPP. Through the
established network of political parties world-
wide, the DPP hopes to advance the world’s un-
derstanding of Taiwan in order to assist Taiwan’s
breakout from its international difficulty.
DPP Chair Tsai Ing-wen sits
with members of an Egyp-
tian delegation visiting Tai-
wan to exchange policy ideas.
PAGE 5