Source: Taiwan Economic Daily
In June 2016 Britain, Brexit, January 2017 US President Trump announced his withdrawal from the Cross -Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP).The wave of globalization.By the end of January of this year, when the United States and mainland China reached the first phase of trade agreement, some people thought that the world could return to a beautiful era of free trade.Unexpectedly, the crown disease epidemic in mainland China swept the world and once again caused a significant impact on the global economy and trade, especially the impact on globalization and anti -globalization, the most worthy of deep thought.
There are two main impacts on globalization of the crown disease. One is to make nationalism stronger, because the national epidemic requires mobilization of national forces to deal with it.The infringement of the privacy of the newsletter, the production of masks that are levied by the state of private property rights.When epidemic prevention is used as a state of power, it will weaken the development of globalization.
Another influence is that the epidemic has increased discrimination between different ethnic groups and races, such as European and American people's discrimination against Asians, especially Chinese.Therefore, the national borders will be defined more clearly. Even if you know that the demand of goods will still come from mainland China, it will increase more restrictions on exchanges with the mainland.Although everyone knows that it is to deal with the virus, it still can't help but point the finger to the sinful lamb, and even deliberately make an article on the name of the virus.
In fact, one of the main reasons for Brexit is that some British people are unwilling to accept the distributed Middle East and African refugees.This kind of discriminatory ideas may become more serious after this epidemic expands. It can be expected that the freedom of international personnel in the future will be restricted and then the globalization trend will be changed counter.
However, Trump did not really want to exit TPP, but believed that the content of TPP was not good for the United States.The same thing also happened in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Trump requested re -agree with two other members Canada and Mexico. In the end, the three countries re -signed the US -Mexico -Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA).This means that Trump is not anti -globalization in trade issues, and he opposes that it is not conducive to the US trade agreement.
The situation in the UK is very similar. Some British support the Brexit because they oppose the EU people's work in the UK. However, most British still support persons and goods to move freely. For example, many young people in the UK support to stay in Europe in order to be more freely in these these in these.Move between the country.FTAs such as Japan and other major countries and regions have even intended to join the multilateral free trade agreement such as the Capital Pacific Partnership Comprehensive Progress Agreement (CPTPP).At the same time, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) will also complete the procedures for formal effect after the epidemic.We can see that the impact of the epidemic on trade globalization may be relatively small.
When this wave of epidemic is over, the power of the state and the government will expand, but the basic value of some democracy should still work hard to maintain it.Protection and private property collection issues, etc., during the epidemic prevention period, should take a closer look at the government, and should carefully review them in the future to ensure that the same situation occurs again, and the people's basic rights should be guaranteed.
As for anti -globalization, it is worrying that internationally discrimination against Asians or yellow people, especially discrimination against mainland China, I believe that Taiwan cannot be in trouble, and it is likely to be treated against the same discrimination.Therefore, the best way in Taiwan is to stop discriminating against others and start to rename the new crown virus to the new crown pneumonia.
Finally, after the epidemic, the international is likely to accelerate the signing of bilateral or multilateral FTAs because countries need more trade.Taiwan depends on international trade, and should work hard to eliminate difficulties, and actively sign FTA with the United States and Japan and other countries, and apply and strive to join CPTPP and RCEP, because countries in the agreement are important trading partners in Taiwan.
