Leung: Free trade only serves capitalists.

Prof. Leung is from National Cheng Kung University’s Department of Political Science. Decades ago, he came to Taiwan from Hong Kong and obtained Taiwanese citizenship. Having submersed himself in studies concerning political issues in Taiwan, Prof. Leung has stayed among the protestors in the Legislative Yuan from the beginning of this action. He has given a series of addresses at each assembling place to explain what Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA) is to the participants and audiences.

梁文韜老師是國立成功大學的政治系教授，他十多年前從香港來到台灣，現在也具有台灣人的身份。長期投入研究台灣政治議題，他最近幾天都在立法院度過，並且不斷於各個集合點發表演說，向參與群眾解釋兩岸服務貿易協議的內容。

English

Prof. Leung hoped to support those students protesting inside the Parliament and to express his anti-CSSTA position by joining this occupation of the parliament. “CSSTA is a critical step in the process of China swallowing up Taiwan,” according to Prof. Leung. He expounded on this, saying that “the breadth of service and investment categories promised to be opened by CSSTA may bring numerous immigrants with pockets full of hot money from China to Taiwan. As such, China-invested banks can gather money from Taiwanese deposits and lend it to China-invested enterprises. These loans can be used to acquire Taiwanese companies. In the end, China-invested enterprises can take down the Taiwanese market at a low cost. A potential catastrophe is staring down Taiwanese companies.”

According to Prof. Leung, “Politics is not dirty. It is those those who manipulate politics that are dirty. Free trade only serves capitalists. The economic development in Taiwan has been saddled with accusations of land development fever and labor deprivation. At the same time, the current starting salary of college graduates in Taiwan is only NT$19,000 (475 euros), Taiwan’s minimum wage. Where in the world is the salary of college graduates matching minimum wage? Politicians like to make promises, but which ones have been fulfilled? It is foreseeable that the gap between wealthy people and the poor will be widened if CSSTA passes.”

Prof. Leung wanted to share with those outside of Taiwan that if Taiwan becomes isolated without international support, this island will enveloped by China. Sovereignty and democracy in Taiwan will be trampled on and destroyed. As such, he hoped the international community could exert pressure on the Taiwanese government via NGOs or diplomatic channels, to call on proper management of this issue. Democracy cannot be sacrificed under the pressure of China, he asserted. He also hoped Taiwan would not be the next Ukraine, strongly imploring, “Please do not allow China to swallow up Taiwan, as Russia did to Crimea.”

中文翻譯

梁教授希望藉參與集會聲援立院議場內的學生，並且表達反對服務貿易協議的立場。他認為服貿是中國併吞台灣的關鍵步驟，因為開放服務項目與投資，將會帶來移民與中國資金進駐。屆時中資企業將會透過融資來併購台灣的企業，中資銀行將透過收取台灣存款，放款給其他中資企業來收購台灣本土企業。到時候中國企業用很低的成本就可以拿下台灣市場，將造成本土企業的危險。

梁文韜說政治不是骯髒的，玩弄政治的人才是骯髒的。自由貿易只服務資本家，在台灣經濟發展已經等同於土地開發與剝削工人。在台灣的大學生畢業以後只能領19k，全世界有哪個國家的大學生畢業以後只能賺到最低工資？而政治人物喜歡拿數字開支票，但是他們說的哪個數字有兌現過呢？服貿通過後，貧富差距將會變大。

梁文韜想對全世界說，如果台灣被孤立了，得不到國外的支持，很可能會被中國併吞。主權與民主會被殘害與踐踏。因此，他希望國際社會可以透過非政府組織或是外交體系對台灣政府施壓，要求台灣政府妥善處理，不能為了跟中共串通就犧牲民主。他特別強調，希望台灣不要重演烏克蘭事件，不要讓中國像俄羅斯一樣併吞了克里米亞。

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