China’s “united front” tactics targeted at Taiwan’s agricultural sector are continuous and strategic. China has intensified its use of “united front” tactics against Taiwan’s agricultural sector since the passage of the “anti-separation law” (so-called “anti-secession law”). With regard to the series of actions by the Chinese government, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) held a Council Meeting on April 15, 2005, and invited the Council of Agriculture (COA) to report on the current development of China’s “united front” tactics against Taiwan’s agricultural sector.
According to the COA report, China has currently employed comprehensive and strategic “united front” tactics targeting Taiwan’s agricultural sector. They include:
I. Organizing large agricultural exhibits to attract businesses, such as the Spring Exhibit for Cross-Strait Orchid Sales, Cross-Strait Agricultural Cooperation and Exchange Meeting, Cross-Strait Flower Expo, Cross-Strait Symposium on Agricultural Biotechnology, and Cross-Strait Agricultural Summit.
II. Establishing special agricultural zones to attract Taiwanese-capital investments. China has established “experimental areas for cross-strait agricultural cooperation” in Fuzhou and Zhangzhou in Fujian, Hainan, Pingdu in Shandong, Heilongjiang, and Yanglingin in Shanxi, as well as provided preferential treatments in land, taxation, and financing to attract larger-scale Taiwanese businesses to invest in these areas.
III. Actively promoting cross-strait exchanges of agricultural personnel and technology; importing technology and experiences from Taiwan, and recruiting Taiwanese agricultural technologists.
IV. Enhancing research and training on Taiwan’s agriculture sector, including the establishment of databases on agricultural information resources, training of personnel whose work involves Taiwan’s agriculture, and training of agricultural production and marketing organizations.
V. Actively taking advantage of Taiwanese political parties, politicians, and agricultural associations to form an agricultural “united front” against Taiwan.
Statistics from the Investment Commission under the Ministry of Economic Affairs showed that there were 4,709 records of Taiwanese businessmen going to China for agriculture-related investments from January 1991 to end of December 2004. These investments amounted to approximately US$3.32 billion. Although Taiwanese investments, primary in agriculture, fishery, and husbandry, accounted for only six percent of these investments, many high quality varieties, seeds, and technologies were illegally exported from Taiwan to China through the channels of personnel exchanges and investments. China has undermined Taiwan’s status in the international agricultural market through capitalizing on cheap domestic labor and land costs. It has also used small-scale trade, smuggling, or re-exports to upset domestic prices of agricultural products in Taiwan, as well as undermine profits of Taiwanese farmers and the development of the domestic agricultural industry.
Since China’s agricultural “united front” tactics against Taiwan are comprehensive, relevant agencies in Taiwan have become more vigilant, and have started to review and enhance management mechanism for existing cross-strait agricultural trade, investments, and technology and personnel exchanges. This is to safeguard the interests and long-term welfare of farmers in Taiwan.