Lai Ching-te (賴清德, right)/CNA file photo

Taipei, March 15 (CNA) The Cabinet is expected to announce later this week a series of measures in response to Beijing's recent offer of a raft of incentives aimed at attracting Taiwanese investment and talent, government sources said Thursday.

Vice Premier Shih Jun-ji (施俊吉) has briefed Premier Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on the Cabinet's proposed "counter-measures" Wednesday and the Cabinet is scheduled to make them public Friday or Saturday, according to the sources.

In a statement, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said Thursday that the government is not opposed to the economic incentives offered by China, as has been suggested in the local media.

On March 5, the commission wrote to government agencies nationwide calling on them to strictly review Chinese investments in Taiwan's public procurement projects, in accordance with the provisions of the "Regulations Governing the Permission of Investment by Nationals in the Mainland Area."

The PCC message represents a response to China's economic incentives, according to local media reports, which the commission strongly denied, saying the two matters were unrelated.

In late February, Beijing announced 31 incentives targeting Taiwanese nationals and businesses in a wide range of sectors, from agriculture to movie production, that would allow them to compete on an equal footing with Chinese nationals in China.

However, because the economic incentives involve the rights and interests of both sides, Taiwan and China should discuss the subject, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said.

Measures repeatedly put forth by Beijing are aimed at upgrading its own economic development by utilizing Taiwan's resources and obtaining political loyalty from Taiwanese, MAC Deputy Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said.

The council will closely monitor subsequent developments and observe how the situation unfolds, Chiu added. 

(By Chai Sze-chia, Chen Cheng-wei and Ko Lin) 
Enditem/AW