RCEP誕生，蔡英文總統應向全民報告台灣該怎麼辦
歷經8年談判，「區域全面經濟夥伴關係協定」（RCEP）15個成員國於今(15)日完成簽署，此協議涵蓋東南亞國協10國，再加上中國大陸、日本、南韓、澳洲與紐西蘭等五方，涵蓋全球30%的人口、29%的全球國內生產毛額（GDP）以及27%的全球貿易量，超過亞太地區另一項重要的經濟合作建制「跨太平洋夥伴全面進步協定」（CPTPP；全球占比為人口6.9%、GPD12.9%以及貿易量14.9%）。
我國與RCEP成員的貿易佔貿易總量的59%，投資額則佔我國對外投資的65%，如果始終不得其門而入，勢必產生被排擠的負面效應。
中國國民黨指出，RCEP被稱為地表上最大的區域經濟整合架構，過去4年來，並未見到民進黨政府於加入該協定方面有任何積極努力，連嘗試都沒有就宣告失敗。
針對民進黨政府於參與RCEP的不作為，國民黨有以下幾點看法。
第一，民進黨只想抓住美國，忽略雙軌區域經濟合作建制的競合。國民黨執政時代，以RCEP與「跨太平洋戰略經濟夥伴協定」（TPP，即CPTPP的前身）雙軌並進的策略，試圖在協定簽署前加入，惜於2016年5月便不再執政；蔡英文總統第一任期內，前期尚將TPP或CPTPP列於施政優先項目，後期則幾不再提，將RCEP與CPTPP之快速進展視若無睹，反而以率爾開放萊豬等措施，希望在對美經貿合作有所進展，但始終缺乏實際建樹。
第二，對我國有意義參與RCEP而言，因為美國沒有加入，所以兩岸關係的好壞更為關鍵。中國大陸在RCEP扮演重要力量，而該協定成員雖不乏日本、澳洲等美國的重要盟邦，但仍基於各自的整體國家利益考量，並未脫離RCEP談判。民進黨政府明知RCEP對我國之重要性以及中共當局在RCEP之影響力，卻無心維繫兩岸的政治對話基礎，以致參與之路難上加難。
顯然民進黨政府沒有興趣或者不敢加入RCEP，才會常用仇「中」言語對台灣民眾進行「情緒勒索」，阻礙兩岸人民的良性互動與交流，同時又坐視「海峽兩岸經濟合作協議」（ECFA）的優勢逐漸流失，讓台灣在區域經濟合作中進退維谷。
第三，民進黨刻意不提東北亞在RCEP簽署後的經貿變局對我國之影響。中國大陸、日本與南韓等東北亞三強，將藉由RCEP做進一步的經貿整合，不僅被認為間接與中共當局「一帶一路」的規劃相互呼應，且與美國欲以「印太戰略」（Indo-Pacific Strategy）制約中國大陸的企圖有所扞格。民進黨若無法參與RCEP或CPTPP，又遇到美國政權更迭，對美雙邊投資協定（BTA）與自由貿易協定（FTA）更非易事，長此以往，台灣的經濟前景堪慮。
第四，民進黨的不當政策讓台灣真正變成亞太或印太地區的「經濟邊緣人」。環顧亞太或印太地區，僅有我國與北韓、東帝汶被排除於各種具法律拘束力的多邊經濟合作區塊之外。蔡英文總統若再無適切的因應作為，眼見各方逐漸融入區域經濟整合，台灣卻只能坐困愁城；換言之，作繭自縛與一籌莫展的民進黨，將葬送台灣的經濟競爭力，以及台灣青年與下一代的未來。
第五，民進黨政府外交不行，卻最會「做」「以」「帶」「閉」（「坐以待斃」的諧音），耽誤台灣的前途。民進黨常見的「做」「以」「帶」「閉」四招，包括「做」圖抹黑不同意見者、「以」魚驅蠅地在區域參與和兩岸關係上自我矛盾、「帶」輿論風向讓民眾以為台灣即將突破外交封鎖、「閉」關自守地以為能暫時偏安一隅等，但對於如何有意義地參與區域經濟整合，民進黨卻始終拿不出較有效的方案，只能不斷以「中國打壓」、「開放萊豬換取一個國際地位」等空話自我逃避或自我麻醉。
蔡總統及行政團隊沉溺於「務虛不務實」的外交與兩岸關係，在利用各種資源操弄「大內宣」上爐火純青，卻無視國際環境的潮流與變遷，這正是問題的最大癥結。
國民黨呼籲民進黨政府不要再忙於用官、民網軍做圖攻擊對手，也不要再買單吃「道歉牛肉麵」，當務之急是立即由蔡總統召集跨部會的緊急高層會議，針對RCEP正式成形後對我國的衝擊，進行客觀的、全方位的評估，提出具體的因應之道，並向立法院進行正式、公開的報告，以免讓民眾不知險之將至。
President Tsai Should Tell People Where Taiwan Is Heading After Being Excluded From RCEP?
Press Release
KMT Culture and Communications Committee
After eight years of negotiations, a total of 15 countries finally inked “Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership” (RCEP) agreement in a virtual ceremony on 15th November. The massive trade agreement includes Mainland China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as 10 ASEAN countries. The RCEP region covers a total of 30% of the world’s population and accounts for 29% of global GDP and 27% of the world’s trade volume. The scope and scale of RCEP has surpassed that of the “Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership” (CPTPP), which covers 6.9% of the world’s population, and accounts for 12.9% of the world’s GDP and 14.9% of the world’s trade volume.
Taiwan’s trade with RCEP members accounts for 59% of Taiwan’s total trades and 65% of its total investments. In light of this, we realize that Taiwan’s exclusion from the RCEP will definitely cause adverse effects for Taiwan’s economy.
The KMT points out that the RCEP is by far the largest regional economic integration effort on earth. However, over the past four years, the Tsai Ing-wen government has engaged in empty talks and done nothing practical while dealing with international and cross-Strait relations. The DPP turns a blind eye towards changes in the international environment and fails to strive for Taiwan’s accession to the RCEP, while dusting off responsibility by casting blame on Mainland China’s suppression as an excuse for Taiwan’s failure to join the RCEP.
Regarding the DPP’s inaction over Taiwan’s being excluded from the RCEP, the KMT would like to express its positions as follows.
Firstly, the DPP ignores the importance of a dual-track regional economic cooperation mechanism as it only seeks to follow every footstep of the US. When the KMT was still in power from 2008 to 2016, the KMT government adopted a dual-track approach by seeking to join both the RCEP and TPP (now CPTPP). During the early stage of President Tsai Ing-wen’s first term, the DPP government also put Taiwan’s accession to the TPP (or CPTPP) as a priority in her governance. However, the DPP government took an abrupt turn later on and put it on the shelf. Now, the DPP government hastily allows the imports of US pork containing ractopamine at the expense of public health only to seek dialogues with the US on trade and economic issues.
Secondly, since the US is not a member of the RCEP, cross-Strait relations, therefore, become a crucial factor in deciding whether or not Taiwan will join the RCEP. The Tsai administration continues to fan the flames of anti-China sentiment to the public and block good-will exchanges across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan is caught between a rock and a hard place in the regional economic integration and cooperation as the DPP government sits idly by and let the advantages of the cross-Strait “Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement” (ECFA) wither.
A critical point that the KMT must stress on is that Taiwan is being marginalized economically in the Asia-Pacific or Indo-Pacific region due to inappropriate policies of the DPP government. Our country is the only place in the region alongside North Korea and East Timor that is being excluded from the law-binding multi-lateral economic cooperation mechanisms. Meanwhile, Mainland China, and other US allies such as Japan, South Korea and Australia are cooperating in trade and economic integrations within the RCEP framework. The long-term prospect of Taiwan’s economy is worrying under the rule of the DPP administration if Taiwan should fail to join the RCEP or the CPTPP, yet also fails to sign a bilateral trade or free trade agreement with the US. Under such circumstances, the future for our youth and next generations will be jeopardized.
Most importantly, the KMT would like to urge the DPP government not to engage in internet smear campaign by utilizing official resources or mobilizing so-called ‘cyber warriors’. Just take Ting Yi-ming as an example. Ting Yi-ming stepped down as Executive Yuan spokesman after he falsely claimed that an award-winning beef noodle restaurant serves beef containing ractopamine.
It is of urgent priority that President Tsai convene high-level inter-ministerial meetings to conduct objective, full assessments of the impacts on Taiwan’s exclusion from the RCEP. After that, the DPP government should put forward strategies and report them to the Legislative Yuan in an official, transparent and candid manner so that the public can realize the dire situation ahead of us.
