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CROSS-STRAIT TALKS: Compensation will not be discussed, health official says

Officials from both sides of the Strait will not go into specifics, such as claims for compensation from Chinese companies that have exported products spiked with melamine, during tomorrow’s meeting between China’s Association for Relations across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS ) Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) and Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤), a top Department of Health official said yesterday.

The official, who declined to be identified, told the Taipei Times in a telephone interview that although Taiwanese officials would not discuss compensation, “when we meet face-to-face with them [Chinese officials], we will make sure the two sides maintain a good dialogue.”

When the news broke in early September that creamer imported from China’s Duqing Co contained melamine, the Department of Health said it would assist companies that have suffered losses because of the melamine scandal and request compensation from China.

However, as of yesterday, Duqing had yet to provide any explanation or details about test results on samples taken from Taiwan back to China.

“[Duqing] is still investigating the source [of the contamination] … But we know that they have discovered problems with their own products,” the official said, attributing Duqing’s lack of a response to the amount of time needed to conduct a thorough investigation.

The list of Chinese companies that exported melamine-spiked products to Taiwan has been growing since the start of the scandal, which started with Chinese-based Sanlu Group’s batches of tainted milk powder.

Since then, the list of Chinese companies that have exported contaminated products to Taiwan has grown to include Xinji Huaer Chemical Co, Yaolong, Jilin Jinyi Egg Products Co Ltd and Dalian Green Snow Egg Product Co Ltd.

The official said that the lifting of the ban on China’s imports of milk powder, creamer, ammonium bicarbonate and protein powder “will not come quickly.”

China’s health department must show improvements in regulating food safety and provide reports on what measures would be taken to stop future cases occurring, the official said.
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