Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou defended the proposed trade pact with the mainland as political opponents accused him of endangering the island’s political and economic stability, the Wall Street Journal reported. Ma, who heads the Kuomintang, clashed with Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party, in a televised debate on Sunday. Ma maintains that the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) will help the local economy and prevent Taiwan being marginalized following the introduction of a free trade agreement between China and major Southeast Asian countries. He argued that the deal – which he wants closed by June – will cut tariffs on exports to the mainland and protect Taiwan investment and intellectual property rights across the strait. Tsai warned that it will force Taiwan to open up to cheap Chinese exports and harm local industries. She wants Taiwan to conduct trade talks with the mainland under the WTO framework.