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Editorial: Sweet fruit, rotten tactics

China was originally set to conduct talks on importing Taiwanese fruit with Taiwan's representatives tomorrow, but it has encountered some obstacles. Although Beijing has agreed to negotiate with the government's approved representative, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), it also is requiring that the Taiwan Provincial Farmers Association (TPFA) take part.

With China maneuvering to control the make-up of Taiwan's negotiating team, TAITRA would surely be given the cold shoulder. This is the main reason behind the government's decision not to participate in the talks. But the decision has put the government at odds with farmers: If it fails to make its reasons clear, Beijing will score points.

In every country, the agriculture industry requires the greatest amount of protection. If an opportunity arises to export fruit to another market tariff-free, the government must do all it can to promote it. Any obstacles put in place by the government should be considered a dereliction of duty, and will incur farmers' anger. This is exactly what China wants to achieve here. Its maneuvering and manipulation, with the help of the Taiwanese media and a number of politicians here, has put the government at a considerable disadvantage. The situation has also left a part of the population with the mistaken impression that the government is opposed to exporting Taiwanese produce to China.

In fact, the government is not attempting to ban agricultural exports to China. A look at the relevant policies and regulations shows there are few restrictions on exporting agricultural products to China. According to statistics compiled by the government, last year China imported US$292 million worth of Taiwan's agricultural goods. The amount rises to US$822 million dollars if we include Hong Kong as part of China, which accounts for 23 percent of total agricultural exports. This indicates that the government is by no means opposed to exporting produce to China.

China has been manipulating the issue using "tariff-free" status. Although Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) reached an agreement with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) on the issue in April, China remains reluctant to negotiate directly with the government to settle the matter. Instead, Beijing first refused to negotiate the issue under the WTO, and then rejected direct talks with TAITRA. Its current requirement that the TPFA also take part is in an attempt to relegate Taiwan to the status of a province of China.

Fortunately, the TPFA did not fall into the trap. Without the government's endorsement, even if the TPFA had reached a deal with Beijing, it would be unable to implement it.

Since Taiwan does not place any restrictions on the export of agricultural products to China, the main focus of negotiations was to be the inspection and quarantine of Taiwan's farm products. But these actually fall under the scope of the government.

Originally, the issue was a matter of reciprocity that could be resolved through negotiations by the two governments. But China has set a technical threshold and appointed its own negotiating partner. What kind of negotiation is that? China should not avoid officially-authorized Taiwanese representatives if it really wants to push for tax-free import of Taiwan's fruit.

Since Taiwan will not send any representatives to the proposed talks in China, the duty-free import of Taiwan's fruit into China will be impossible over the short term. China may blame this on the government here, in keeping with the script written by Beijing and the KMT that aims to destroy the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) rule. The DPP surely is aware of this trick. The party should clearly explain this to the nation's farmers to let them understand the truth, so as to reduce the effectiveness of the united-front tactics being employed by China and the blue camp.
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