TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Former President Ma Ying-jeou launched a strong counterattack against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te's criticism of the cross-strait services trade agreement on Saturday (Dec. 16).
At a legislative candidate's campaign headquarters in Taipei, Ma accused the DPP of having "a screw loose" for questioning the service trade policy, which Lai had claimed would result in 50 million mainland Chinese competing for jobs in Taiwan.
During his address endorsing a legislative candidate, Ma criticized the current DPP administration for what he described as seven years of governance failures, including shortages of vaccines, rapid test kits, and even eggs during the pandemic. He accused the party of profiteering from national emergencies.
Reflecting on his presidency, Ma emphasized the stability of cross-strait relations under the "1992 Consensus," noting the absence of military incursions by Chinese Communist Party aircraft, which have become frequent under the DPP's "anti-China, protect Taiwan" approach.
In response to Lai's criticism of opening up service trade with China as a failed policy, Ma insisted that Taiwanese service industry professionals have great potential in the mainland market, a prospect he suggested has been hindered by the DPP's interference.