MAC wary of exports to China

Cross-strait agricultural developments * Last November, Beijing received a DPP agricultural delegation and opened its market to more Taiwan fruit * On Feb. 25, China's Taiwan Affairs Office said it would expand access to the Chinese market for agricultural exports * There are no regulations that bar the export of agricultural products to China * MAC said that China needs to improve protection of agricultural genetic intellectual property and may be seeking to attract experts in genetic modification

Following Beijing's recent vows to grant Taiwanese agricultural goods greater market access, Taiwan yesterday indicated that it was willing to see an increase in the export of fruits and vegetables to China, but cautioned exporters not to move too fast.

"Right now there are no regulations barring the export of agricultural products to China, but exporters need to understand the risks involved," Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Vice Chairman Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) said yesterday during a scheduled press conference.

According to Chiu, the three primary obstacles facing Taiwanese exporters selling produce to China face are a steep customs tax of 16 percent, limited channels of distribution and inefficient customs procedures and inspection processes.

increased exports

Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) moved to entice the agricultural sector to increase exports to China during a press conference on Feb 25.

In addition to the widely reported proposal regarding the operation of cross-strait charter flights for the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday next month, the TAO also invited Taiwanese agricultural representatives and experts to visit China and said that it would expand access to the Chinese market for agricultural exports from Taiwan.

While the MAC seemed to welcome such moves yesterday, it has also cautioned that China needs to beef up its protection of agricultural genetic intellectual property and technology. Chiu said, however, that the government was willing to give increased agricultural exports to China a try.

But he warned that China's move to increase the flow of agricultural exports to China was undoubtedly underpinned by other measures, indicating that China wanted to attract experts in the genetic modification of vegetables and fruits.

While Chiu said yesterday he was unsure of the frequency of agricultural exchanges in the past, he indicated that Beijing had indeed drawn attention to the matter in recent months.

In November, an agricultural delegation led by former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Hsu Hsin-liang (許信良) received a high profile reception in Beijing. Chinese officials also agreed to allow seven more kinds of Taiwanese fruits on its markets following the visit.

Key Statement

In addition, Jia Qinglin (賈慶林), chairman of China's top advisory body said in a key statement delivered on the 10th anniversary of Jiang Zemin's (江澤民) eight-point proposal on Taiwan policy that the Chinese government is concerned about the promotion of the direct export of Taiwanese agricultural produce to China. Jia's speech is viewed as a key indicator of China's current Taiwan policy.