Running contrary to Presidential Office and National Security Council (NSC) preferences, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it would support a proposed amendment that would tighten restrictions on the import of “risky” beef products.
KMT caucus secretary-general Lu Hsueh-chang (呂學樟) told reporters that the caucus would back “the spirit” of a proposed amendment to the Act Governing Food Sanitation (食品衛生管理法) proposed by KMT Legislator Daniel Hwang (黃義交) and 39 other KMT lawmakers, and make some changes to the wording of the proposal.
Hwang’s proposal is one of four proposed versions. The proposal seeks to ban the import of cow’s skulls, eyes, spinal cords, bovine intestines and ground beef from areas where cases of mad cow disease have been recorded.
The products would be prohibited from entering Taiwan until effective treatment for the disease has been found, the proposal says.
The other three proposals include one by the KMT caucus to ban similar products from places where cases of the disease have been reported over the past decade and two other proposals by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to prohibit risky beef products from areas that have been hit even once by the disease.
The government agreed to lift a ban on imports of certain US beef products in late October, triggering widespread criticism and concern.
The KMT caucus had previously insisted on highlighting the government’s promise to safeguard public health with administrative measures rather than enshrining the ban in the law.
KMT lawmakers were bombarded with angry phone calls after a student launched an anti-US beef campaign and publicized KMT legislators’ mobile phone numbers.
Lu said senior government officials had called caucus members to check how many changed their stance. More than half now supported Hwang’s version, while some favored the DPP proposals.
NSC Secretary-General Su Chi (蘇起) on Thursday urged lawmakers and the public not to demand a reopening of beef talks with the US, warning that reneging on an agreement to lift the ban on the imports would hurt relations.
“Taiwan might face US retaliation whatever version of the amendment the legislature decides to propose,” Su said at a press conference, adding that the public should take into account Taiwan’s limited role in the international community when considering how to approach the issue.
Taiwan needs the support of the US, its biggest ally, in its bids to participate in international organizations. If it violates the import protocol, it is likely that the US would hold back support for the country, Su said.
When asked for comment on Su’s remarks, Lu yesterday said the Legislative Yuan would amend the act by next Tuesday.
“Those who made a big mistake [by signing the protocol] should do something to remedy it,” Lu said.
Meanwhile, DPP lawmakers yesterday accused Su of “threatening the people” by saying that the US may retaliate if the Legislative Yuan adopts the amendments.
“Su should tell the US that, as a democratic country, the Taiwanese government is required to follow decisions that the legislature makes, instead of threatening the people [by saying] the US would retaliate,” DPP caucus whip Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) told a press conference.
“I think it should have been added into the Taiwan-US beef agreement that it would only become valid after the legislature approves it in the first place,” Chai said. “It was Su’s mistake to leave those words out of the agreement — it shows that he looks down on the legislature.”
DPP Legislator William Lai (賴清德) also condemned Su, saying he had first made a decision against the people’s will and then threatened the people. He said the US would understand if the Legislative Yuan passed amendments to block US beef “since we are a democracy and so is the US.”
He said that Su should step down over the beef controversy.
At a separate setting yesterday, Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said the government was trying its utmost to coordinate with the legislature over a possible legal amendment aimed at obstructing US beef imports considered to be risky.
Wang said the existing strict measures, known as the “three controls” and “five certifications,” have been effective in keeping potentially hazardous beef parts from the US out of the country.
The so-called three controls refer to setting controls on beef imports at the source, at borders and in markets.
The five certifications refer to verifying certification documents, checking that shipments are marked with detailed product information, opening a high percentage of cartons of imported beef to check the product, conducting food safety tests and being able to get information on suspected problem products immediately.
The government would be willing to bear some of the consequences if the Legislative Yuan remained determined to pass an amendment to the Act to demand a re-opening of talks with the US, Wang said.
“President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) will meet Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) later in the day to discuss the issue,” he said.
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