Tsai said most Americans do not eat the internal organs of cows and it is therefore questionable that the products would be scrutinized to the same extent by slaughterhouses and sanitation authorities prior to export. At the same time, the US does not require all meat producers to register their cattle, she said, making it difficult to trace the origin of any tainted meat that reaches Taiwan.
Former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said Ma was arrogant in thinking he could “fool the Americans” with technicalities. “I was premier before, so I understand the heavy pressure from the US over beef [imports]. Still, Ma really surprised everyone with his inability to withstand pressure when he promised the US full access,” he said.
In related developments, supermarkets, restaurants and fast food chains on Taipei’s Yongkang Street and surrounding areas yesterday displayed logos issued by the city government to declare their boycott of US ground beef, intestines and spinal cords.
Well-known stores and restaurants in the Yongkang Street area including Matsusei Supermarket, Mos Burger, Tung Men Dumpling Restaurant and Yongkang Beef Noodle Shop, joined the “Anti-US Ground Beef, Intestines and Spinal Cords Association” formed by the city government, and said displaying the logo would help their business.
“Customers are worried about eating US beef without knowing. We always use beef from Taiwan and Australia, so displaying the logo will help us inform the customers and ease their worries,” the owner of Yongkang Beef Noodle Shop said.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) toured the area to issue the logo stickers to the stores yesterday morning, saying that more than 1,200 establishments had joined, many of which asked to receive the logos as soon as possible.
Hau brushed off apparent US opposition to boycotts by local governments and said the city’s campaign was legal and in the public interest.
“The city government has not violated any regulations, and [forming this association] is within our authority,” he said at Yongkang Street.
“Even in the US, state governments have some autonomy in dealing with the policies of the central government,” he said.
When asked about a potential referendum on whether the government should renegotiate its beef policy with the US, Hau said both a plebiscite and demonstrations over the matter would be a waste of resources.
RSS